Winners 2017

Past Winners:

  • Leading platform journalist

    Winner: Tom Ellis

    Sponsored by DST

    The winner the judges said was best exemplified by a series of eight articles examining the various factors and issues arising from systems re-platforming written from the perspective of clients and advisers.

    Highly commended: Katie Marriner

    • David Moffat, executive director, DST
    • Clive Waller, managing director, UKPA
    • Tom Ellis
    • Kate Silverton

  • Dynamic Planner best platform for adviser service

    Winner: Standard Life

    Sponsored by Dynamic Planner

    The winner of the award is the platform that received the highest average score across a four service categories in a survey run throughout the summer by the PFS and promoted by Professional Adviser. The survey attracted over 1300 votes.

    In second place: Old Mutual Wealth

    • Clive Waller, Managing Director, UKPA
    • Ben Goss, CEO, Dynamic Planner
    • David Tiller, Head of Adviser & Wealth Propositions
    • Kate Silverton

  • Best strategic platform partner

    Winner: Winterflood Business Services

    Sponsored by Professional Adviser

    The judges looked at the extent to which the service advances the overall platform proposition, paying particular attention to improving the customer’s experience. They are aware that this is low margin business and that automation and APIs are key. The winners get this.

    In second place: Pershing

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Simone Broadhurst, events director, Incisive Media
    • Alex Kerry, head of Winterflood Business Services
    • Kate Silverton

  • Best institutional platform

    Winner: Allfunds

    Sponsored by Calastone

    Our winner is clearly head and shoulders above its competitors and won the most business in the previous 12 months

    In second place and highly commended: Mobius

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Jon Willis, chief commercial officer Calastone
    • Shahid Sultan, Allfunds
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading innovation in workplace solutions

    Winner: Wealth Wizards

    Sponsored by The Lang Cat

    Our winner employs technology to help people save more in an innovative but simple way; thus, they radically reduce the cost of individual member’s advice or the employer’s if they wish to provide it

    In second place: Aegon

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Mark Polson, CEO, The Lang Cat
    • Philip Blows, sales director, Wealth Wizards
    • Simon Binney, business development director, Wealth Wizards
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading platform for advisers with discretionary permissions

    Winner: Nucleus

    Sponsored by Fundscape

    Our winner, the judges felt, offered competitive pricing, whole of market access and made dealing and trading easy.

    In second place and highly commended: Raymond James Investment Services

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Heather Hopkins, head of Platforum
    • Verona Smith, head of platform, 7IM
    • Tom Sheridan, CEO, 7IM
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading platform for model portfolio services

    Winner: Standard Life

    Sponsored by FE

    A set of criteria was created by the leading DFM consultancy Discus, on which 20 leading discretionary managers then voted.

    In joint second place and highly commended: Novia and Transact

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Gary Wheeler, sales director, FE
    • Jenny Davidson, head of platform investment solutions, Standard Life
    • Kate Silverton

  • Best wealth management platform

    Winner: 7IM

    Sponsored by SEI

    Our winner has a really clear, client-focused wealth management offering, combining a diverse investment proposition to a defined customer with full transparency of charging structure.

    In second place: True Potential

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Brett Williams, managing director, SEI UK
    • Peter Wyatt, head of platform sales
    • Zoe Baird, digital proposition manager, Seven Investment Management
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading innovation award

    Winner: Be-IQ

    Sponsored by GBST

    This is a truly innovative winner. They found a problem; did their research and did something different - bringing behavioral science into investment, working successfully with big high street brands.

    In second place: Scalable Capital.

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • David Simpson, head of EMEA, GBST
    • Mike Free & Neil Bage, co-founders, Be-IQ
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading independent planning tool provider

    Winner: Morningstar

    Sponsored by Bravura

    The winner was found by asking those who use these applications, the advisers, to vote – an amazing 1300 of them did so.

    In second place: FE

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Tony Klim, Group CEO, Bravura
    • Ana Georgiou, product manager, Morningstar
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading integrated planning tool provider

    Winner: Technical Connection & 7IM

    Sponsored by Envizage

    The winners have continued to develop an exciting app that puts planning into the hands of the client, yet increases their engagement with their adviser. In addition, the app now links with market leading practice management system, Intelliflo.

    In second place: True Potential and Canada Life

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Vinay Jayaram, director, Envizage
    • Susan Allen, head of platform service team
    • Neil Williams, Technical Connection
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading platform-enabled retirement proposition

    Winner: Standard Life

    Sponsored by Dunstan Thomas

    The winner does what the customer needs, ensuring income payments are paid into their bank accounts on a set date. As simple as that!

    Second and highly commended: AJ Bell

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Ehab Sigh chief operating officer, Dunstan Thomas
    • David Tiller, head of adviser & wealth propositions, Standard Life
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading innovation in investor engagement on platforms

    Winner: Scalable Capital

    Sponsored by Altus Consulting

    The winner combines complexity of solution, for example offering 23 categories on a value at risk basis, with streamlining of the onboarding process to make the customer’s life easy

    Joint second: Intelliflo

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Simon Bussy, principal consultant, Altus
    • Adam French, CEO, Scalable Capital
    • Kate Silverton

  • Best use of platform technology

    Winner: SEI and Fusion Wealth

    Sponsored by RSMR

    The judges liked the way two firms worked well together to deliver technology that benefits adviser AND end investors. This is a solution potentially ahead of regulation showing the value of integration

    In second place: Digital Keystone and Multrees

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Geoff Mills, Director, RSMR
    • Ian Cooke, CEO, Fusion Wealth
    • Brett Williams, Managing Director, SEI, UK
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading adviser practice

    Winner: First Wealth

    Sponsored by FNZ

    The winner combines detailed financial planning with a sophisticated model portfolio service, outsourcing all that is not core. The winner is a member of the multiple award winning Best Practice network and runs on the Fusion Wealth platform powered by SEI

    In second place and highly commended: Thomas & Thomas

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society,
    • Christopher James, managing director, FNZ Wealth Services
    • Claire Phillips, partner, First Wealth
    • Robert Caplan, partner, First Wealth
    • Kerry Burgess, practice manager, First Wealth
    • Kate Silverton

  • Leading adviser business

    Winner: Aspect 8

    Sponsored by Aegon

    This winner continues to impress; they employ their group’s own technology to enhance the client proposition and drive down client cost, a firm three steps ahead.The winner also runs on the Fusion Wealth platform powered by SEI

    In second place: True Potential

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Andy Coleman, managing director of retail, Aegon
    • Ian Cooke, CEO, Aspect 8
    • Brian Potter, director, Aspect 8
    • Kate Silverton

  • Best platform provider (AUM up to £15 billion)

    Winner: True Potential

    Sponsored by Fundscape

    The winner was found by asking those who use the platforms, the advisers, to vote. Over 1300 did vote on the PFS website

    In second place:Elevate.

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Emma Napier, head of distribution, True Potential
    • Bella Caridade-Ferreria, CEO, Fundscape
    • Kate Silverton
    • Sean Montgomery, head of platform operations, True Potential

  • Best platform provider (AUM over £15 billion)

    Winner: Standard Life

    Sponsored by Winterflood Business Services

    The winner was found by asking those who use the platforms, the advisers, to vote. Over 1300 did vote on the PFS website

    In second place: Transact

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • Alex Kerry, head of Winterflood Business Services
    • Eilidh Laverty, head of advice marketing
    • Caroline Miller, head of strategic relationships and industry engagement, Standard Life
    • Kate Silverton

  • Platform of the year, 2017

    Winner: Nucleus

    Sponsored by Schroders

    The winner has a clear focus on the leading criterion - the customer; they have a clear strategy for their business; they are circumspect in their choice of adviser; they are ahead of the regulatory curve; they have a technology focus; and they have doubled their growth with no increase in staff

    In second place and highly commend: AJ Bell

    In third place: 7IM

    • Keith Richards, CEO, Personal Finance Society
    • James Rainbow, Co-Head of UK Intermediary
    • Chris Macdonald, Regional business development director (Scotland), Nucleusg
    • Kate Silverton