Standard Life's platform business appoints new Head of Communications

Edited by the Insidemoneytalk editorial team Jan 10, 2008

Standard Life Savings Limited has announced the appointment of Mark Polson as Head of Communications.

Mark, who joins from Scottish Life where he was Head of Corporate Business, will be responsible for raising the profile of Standard Life's platform business, including its award-winning Wrap and fund supermarket, FundZone.Standard Life successfully launched its much anticipated Wrap platform in May 2006.

The service was designed to help adviser firms deliver a superior customer experience and to build a new and enhanced business model.

FundZone, the company's mutual funds supermarket, was launched in February 2007 and delivers a very flexible service for advisers and their clients.

Commenting on the appointment, Geoff Towers, Chief Executive of Standard Life Savings Limited, said "I am absolutely delighted that Mark has joined Standard Life's platform business at such an exciting time in the company's growth and development.

We have built a full-service proposition that is fundamentally different to the pre-packaged wrap and supermarket solutions on offer and Mark will be working closely with both external and internal audiences to help advisers understand how these new ways of working can benefit their businesses." Commenting on his appointment, Mark said,"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at Scottish Life, but after 5 and a half years it's time for a new challenge.

Wrap platforms have the potential to dramatically change and improve financial advice in the UK and Standard Life is at the forefront of that.

Standard Life Savings Limited has a great proposition, a real commitment to the market and a serious ambition to grow its platforms business in 2008 and beyond.

I'm really excited about helping the company cement its position as the UK's leading platforms provider." On the eve of the innovative service's first birthday in May 2007, Standard Life was told that their Wrap had achieved the coveted eee rating from the Financial Technology Research Centre (FTRC) for the second time.

Standard Life's Wrap is so far the only wrap platform to have achieved a triple-e award from FTRC.

It gained its award by coming top in more than 10 of the FTRC's survey sections, including data aggregation, fact-find, technical support, client planning tools, and management information.