Barnett Waddingham (BW) has appointed Rob Byett as chief risk officer.
Byett will lead the governance team, oversee risk and compliance, and work closely with Howden’s Global Employee Benefits. He will also be appointed to Howden’s Health & Employee Benefits board.
He has over 20 years of experience in senior risk and compliance roles across financial services, including group compliance director at Jelf Group and several years advising clients at Deloitte.
Byett succeeds Zoe Smith, Partner and former Head of Governance, following her retirement.
Howden Employee Benefits and Barnett Waddingham (BW) chief risk officer Rob Byett says: “I’m thrilled to be taking on this role at such a pivotal moment in the integration between Barnett Waddingham and Howden Employee Benefits.
“The opportunity to bring together two strong risk and compliance cultures, tackle complex challenges and build a unified governance framework is incredibly exciting. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across both firms to drive our shared ambitions forward.”
Barnett Waddingham senior partner Andrew Vaughan says: “Rob’s appointment marks a significant milestone in our commitment to market-leading risk management and governance within BW and as part of Howden Employee Benefits.
“This new role is about strengthening how we work together, for the benefit of both our people and our clients.
“Rob’s experience in senior risk and compliance roles, combined with his deep understanding of the financial services sector, makes him ideally placed to lead our governance function during this next exciting chapter.”
Howden CEO, UK health & Employee Benefits and Global Practice Leader Glenn Thomas says: “I’m delighted to welcome Rob to this crucial role and look forward to working with him.
“He brings the depth of experience we need and is an excellent cultural fit for our people-first approach. Rob’s deep industry expertise will be invaluable as we navigate the next phase of growth across Howden EB and BW.”