Stonebridge has named Tim Miller, former chief operating officer for APAC at Bluestone, to the newly created role of chief operating officer at the national mortgage and protection network.
Miller, who has two decades’ experience in financial services, has worked across operations, sales, relationship management and business development, with a consistent focus on working with intermediaries.
Stonebridge, one of the UK’s largest independent mortgage and protection networks, arranges more than £13bn in mortgage lending annually and has recorded three consecutive years of solid growth, including leading the sector in adviser recruitment.
The expansion of its senior leadership is part of a three-year strategic plan, which has already seen the appointment of John Scrivens from Skipton Building Society as sales chief and Mark Bailey, formerly of Rightmove and Barclays, as its first chief technology officer.
The creation of the chief operating officer role is a first for Stonebridge and reflects its commitment to building a management team to match the pace of its membership growth, which now exceeds 1,300 advisers.
Miller will take responsibility for all operations functions, including authorisations and supervision, and will lead risk policy and audit alongside the people, culture and HR teams. He joins the executive team with group finance director Martyn Franklin and chief technology officer Mark Bailey, reporting to chief executive Rob Clifford.
Clifford said: “You go into Exec headhunting with optimism, but often it’s a tricky search for the ideal person. It was really great to meet some truly exceptionally talented and experienced people who wanted to join Stonebridge as our COO.
“By the end of a long and considered process, my colleagues and I were unanimous in our decision, and we’re delighted that Tim jumped at this rare opportunity to join a network that’s setting the gold standard in adviser support.”
Miller said: “I’ve spent the bulk of my career supporting broker and adviser networks, helping them grow sustainably while keeping customer outcomes front and centre. So, I’m extremely pleased to be joining the team here at Stonebridge.
“It’s a business with a strong reputation and a clear sense of purpose, and I’m looking forward to playing my part to continue serious tech deployment and delivering operational gains, thereby supporting the next phase of growth.”
