RI Advice appoints new head

Darren Whereat will assume the role in late January 2017. He previously managed BT's dealer services business Licensee Select and had responsibility for AdviserNETgain.

"Darren will be responsible for leading an experienced regional management team that is focused on driving even greater growth for RI, building on its strong position in the market and leveraging new capabilities for clients," ANZ head of aligned licensees Neil Younger said.

"He is a great fit for the business with a deep understanding of self-employed advisers, their businesses and the execution of organisational growth."

Ex-RI Advice chief executive Paul Campbell resigned from the role effective 7 December last year, citing family reasons.

The move also follows RI Advice's appointment in November of ex-BT Financial Group senior manager, David Hunt, as manager of the northern region to drive growth opportunities as the industry readies for the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) reforms.

The ANZ-owned group restructured its practice agreements earlier this year to cater for the regulatory changes found in the government's FOFA reforms.

The terms gave advisers a choice of new business models and were designed to provide a competitive advantage in the changing financial market.

Mr Hunt said at the time of the appointment that RI's new agreements and the high quality of their resources formed part of his decision to join the dealer group.