Openwork Partnership names Frank Meere as COO

Meere brings 30 years of experience in the financial services sector to his new role, including a wide range of COO and general positions with regional and global responsibilities. Most recently, he led NatWest's data and analytics capability as the bank's head of data & analytics.

Prior to that, he worked at ABN Amro in various countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and Poland. 

Meere said: "I am really excited to be joining The Openwork Partnership and look forward to supporting the continued expansion of the company."

The firm, formerly known as Openwork, rebranded to The Openwork Partnership in February 2021. According to Openwork Partnership, the rebrand was part of plans including further expansion of the network and extending its distribution and range of proposition.

With 4,300 advisers and 680 firms across the UK, The Openwork Partnership operates as a directly authorised, multi-panel distribution network.

"We are delighted to have attracted a leader with Frank's experience and range of skills to help us continue to deliver on our growth strategy," chief executive Philip Howell said.

Howell, who was CEO at Rathbones before he took over from Mark Duckworth last year. Duckworth stepped down after almost a decade at the helm.