Dan Thomas has been appointed as the new CEO of Isio and will take-up this role in September this year.
He will replace Andrew Coles, who has held the CEO role since the firm launched as an independent consultancy in early 2020, following a management buyout of KPMG’s pensions advisory practice.
Thomas has held senior roles at KPMG, Dell, Huntswood and Management Consulting Group and has more than 20 years of leadership experience working in professional services, consulting, outsourcing and growth transformation.
His appointment follows a period of rapid growth for Isio, which has seen its revenue and profit almost treble over the past five years, making it one of the fastest-growing pensions, employee benefits and wealth management firms in the UK.
This growth has been driven by strong organic performance and targeted acquisitions that have diversified and strengthened the group’s proposition, bringing innovative solutions to a broader client base.
Isio says it is looking to further build on this, with its recent strategic acquisition of Collidr, aimed at enhancing its technology-led investment capabilities, demonstrating its appetite for further growth and development.
Thomas has worked with several several private equity backed businesses, advising on growth strategy, commercial transformation and AI-enabled professional services, recently helping to co-create the go-to-market strategy for Unity Advisory, the PE-backed AI-native advisory firm.
Isio chairman Chris Woodhouse says: “[Thomas] is an outstanding appointment for Isio, combining deep professional services leadership experience with strong commercial instincts, significant private equity exposure and a modern perspective on how technology and AI will reshape advisory businesses over the coming decade. The board believes Isio has substantial growth opportunities ahead, bringing broader client offerings to the market and Thomas is well placed to lead the business through this next phase.”
Dan Thomas says: “Isio is a highly respected business with exceptional clients, talented people and strong market fundamentals. The convergence of changing client expectations, technology and long-term structural shifts across pensions, employee benefits, wealth & investment management presents a significant opportunity. What attracted me most was the strength of the platform already built, alongside the opportunity to help lead the business into its next phase of growth.”
Outgoing CEO Andrew Coles adds: “Isio has easily been the highlight of my business career. From the early days of creating a new brand and then to establishing Isio as a leading force in the market, it’s been great to have been part of the development and growth to the scale it is today.
“It has been hard work but hugely exciting. We have created something different and special in the market. I’m delighted to be handing over to such an excellent leader and look forward to watching Isio and its talented team flourish under his leadership as I step back from a full-time executive role.”