PosSol hires risk chief as past business probe continues

Aegon-owned national IFA Positive Solutions has hired a compliance and risk director as it continues to conduct a company-wide legacy business review.

James McCourt joins from RBS, where he was head of regulatory competence. Prior to that, he also held a senior position at Kwik Fit Financial Services.

Dawn Batchelor, hired as interim compliance and risk director earlier this year to clear a business checking backlog caused by the introduction of a new training and competence framework, will stay with Positive Solutions until the end of 2010.

Chief executive Jim Reeve says: "I strongly believe James's appointment will bring a new dimension to the way in which we support partners.

"His knowledge, intellect and people skills are ideally suited to enabling us to deliver a governance framework that is appropriate, engaging and effective.

"I consider him to be the perfect individual to lead and positively develop our compliance, T&C and risk teams."

The new training and competence rules, which set out fresh business checking requirements for new and existing partners, were introduced at the beginning of 2010 and have led to some partners' commission payments being delayed.

Positive Solutions is also conducting a company-wide legacy business review which Reeve admits will "likely" lead to at least some client redress.

The review, which involves randomly checking completed case files in four product areas, was launched to eke out any underlying suitability-of-advice issues in light of recent FSA action against other businesses.