Rachel Vahey has been appointed as head of policy development at AJ Bell.
Vahey was previously senior technical consultant at AJ Bell having joined the business in 2019. Prior to AJ Bell, she worked at Nucleus and Aegon. AJ Bell’s previous head of policy, Gareth James, has taken on a new role at AJ Bell.
Vahey’s new role will see her overseeing AJ Bell’s public policy strategy, with a focus on Government policy and regulatory developments relating to pensions, investments, taxation, and investment platforms. She will also be in charge of coordinating AJ Bell’s work with industry organisations and policy groups.
Vahey will work closely with AJ Bell’s head of retirement policy, Tom Selby, to represent the company at industry policy forums and to assist financial advisers in understanding how new legislation and regulatory developments affect them and their clients. She will also continue to work as a commentator and author in the industry.
AJ Bell brand and PR director Charlie Musson says: “Given the crucial role financial services plays in the lives of so many people in the UK, it’s no surprise that we face a near-constant stream of policy proposals and regulatory change. Rachel’s knowledge and experience make her ideally placed to co-ordinate our policy work, with the purpose of shaping better outcomes for customers, advisers and product providers.”
Vahey says: “We’ve seen a huge volume of regulatory change coming out of the FCA and other Government departments in recent months and there is no sign of this slowing. Many of these changes have a significant and direct impact on financial advisers and their customers and I’m looking forward to helping them understand the implications of any changes and lobbying for positive and deliverable outcomes which help people invest.”