TMA has appointed Alison Stidolph, Paul Walton, Roger Holmes and Sara McKenna. The team collectively brings regulatory experience of more than 100 years. They will help TMA support their DA firms with compliance matters.
Stidolph previously worked for Lloyds Banking Group for more than 26 years and later joined a local estate agents broker team in the North East as a compliance manager.
Walton also started his career at Lloyds, and has 35 years’ experience, including setting up an appointed representative (AR) firm for three years with First Complete.
Holmes joined from Halifax Bank, where he worked as a mortgage adviser, branch manager and area mortgage manager.
McKenna has been in the mortgage industry for 19 years. Her experience includes compliance management for a DA firm based in Surrey, where she managed the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) register and complaints, and implemented controls for the firm.
The new compliance team’s services are wide ranging and can be tailored to each DA business around the specifics of the firm’s conduct of business and oversight.
Their main focus is to work with the DA business principal to discuss and explore the firm’s current position detailing relevant controls, systems and structures, with a plan that should be reviewed annually to keep an eye on any changes in the firm’s circumstances and objectives, or any risks identified.
It will identify current business practices which need intervention, resolution or mitigation in order to meet FCA expectations for advice.
The plan will require ‘buy in’ by the business principal to ensure that agreed procedures are followed, so that risks can be safely mitigated.
TMA will continue to offer file checking, themed regulatory workshops, support with DA authorisation, complaints handling and guidance documentation on retail mediation activities return (RMAR) completion.
Lisa Martin, DA development director at TMA (pictured), said: “With heightened regulatory focus on consumer duty, vulnerable customers and general insurance pricing coupled with increased global threat of ransomware, TMA believe DA firms will hugely benefit from the support we offer, provided by subject matter experts from within our wider network of Primis.
“We want to support firms in keeping their businesses safe and resilient, whilst they focus their attention on supporting and serving their customers with financial advice reviews and requirements.”
