Target Group has announced the appointment of Buddy Willard as director of change.

Willard will be responsible for the delivery and managed services functions across the insurance, implementations, testing, and loans and investments change divisions at the financial services outsourcing and software provider.

He has over 20 years international experience in senior positions within the financial services sector. He has spearheaded change across operations as well as software functions, and prior to joining Target, he was employed as European CIO at GE Capital Mortgage Insurance, head of IT at JP Morgan’s European Mortgage Business and more recently as Group CIO of Veolia Water across the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe.

Willard said: “Target Group has an excellent reputation and some unique competitive advantages in the market. I very much welcome the opportunity to join its successful and expanding team to help build on and improve the strong foundations already in place.”

Paddy Byrne, chief executive officer at Target Group, said: “Buddy is well respected in our industry and will be an asset to the team here as we look to execute our growth strategy and maintain our focus on strong leadership going forward.

“Buddy joins at a great time for the company, with our sales pipeline in the strongest position it’s ever been. His appointment reflects our commitment to ensuring we remain aligned with the needs of both our clients and customers and we are looking forward to him joining our team.”