Stonebridge has appointed former Bluestone chief operating officer for APAC, Tim Miller, to the newly created role of chief operating officer.
Miller (pictured) will assume accountabilities for all operations functions, including authorisations and supervision. He will head up risk policy and audit, as well as the firm’s people, culture, and HR functions.
The mortgage and protection network said it was adding to its senior team on the back of three years of consistent annual growth as part of a three-year strategic plan.
Integral to which has been the appointment at the end of 2023 of a new sales chief, John Scrivens from Skipton Building Society, and the addition in November 2024 of Mark Bailey, formerly of Rightmove and Barclays, as the network’s first chief technology officer.
Stonebridge added the selection process for a chief operating officer started earlier this year and the network directors interviewed what they described as a very strong field of candidates.
Miller has 20 years’ experience in financial services as an operations lead. He was COO of Bluestone APAC in Australia until May of 2023 and before that worked as a relationship manager at Genworth.
He will join the executive team alongside group finance director Martyn Franklin and chief technology officer Mark Bailey and will report to Stonebridge chief executive Rob Clifford.
Clifford said at end of a long and considered process it was a unanimous decision and the team were delighted that Miller jumped at the opportunity.
“You go into exec headhunting with optimism, but often it’s a tricky search for the ideal person. It was really great to meet some truly exceptionally talented and experienced people who wanted to join Stonebridge as our COO,” Clifford added.
Miller added: “I’ve spent the bulk of my career supporting broker and adviser networks, helping them grow sustainably while keeping customer outcomes front and centre. So, I’m extremely pleased to be joining the team here at Stonebridge.
“It’s a business with a strong reputation and a clear sense of purpose, and I’m looking forward to playing my part to continue serious tech deployment and delivering operational gains, thereby supporting the next phase of growth.”