Buttonwood Tree Group, the consultancy company, has appointed Ian Ackerley as head of a new business transformation consultancy practice focused on the life and pensions industry.
This new Buttonwood Tree practice aims to support clients on a range of strategic and operational issues including distribution strategy, operational improvement and outsourcing. The practice follows the business model set in the rest of the Buttonwood Tree Group, being practitioner-led with a consulting team, which blends professional consultancy skills with real front line life and pensions experience.
Ackerely joins with a track record in both consulting and front line management within the life and pensions industry. His career history includes a consultancy role at McKinsey & Company, where he was responsible for developing new strategies and improving operating efficiency for clients in the UK and Australia. He has also held line management roles including Strategy Director at AMP UK Financial Services and Managing Director Sun Life International, where he was responsible for all AXA Sun Life’s overseas activities including sales and operations.
Buttonwood Tree Group has been serving clients in the life and pensions sector for some time and has completed a number of assignments including the implementation of a closed book strategy for a life company, the merger of two life companies and advising on business process outsourcing.
“The success we have already experienced serving the life and pensions sector makes me confident that there is demand for our practitioner led proposition and that we can make a significant positive contribution to the performance of our clients in areas such as cost management, operational improvement and distribution strategy. I am delighted that we have been able to attract someone of Ian’s calibre to lead the practice,” says Nigel Walder, CEO, Buttonwood Tree Group.
Ackerley adds that “the challenging environment for life and pensions firms requires them to consider their business strategies and management approaches and look for strategic and tactical ways to optimise their business. We will work with firms to support the transformation process and call upon our skills and experience to help clients deliver real change. I am very excited about leading the new business practice and to build on the success we have realised to date.”