Stonebridge Group is adding a new non-executive director (NED) to the board of Revolution, the trading platform owned by the group.
Siobhan McAleer (pictured), founder and proprietor of advisory business, The Mortgage Shop (NI) Ltd, has been appointed to the board with immediate effect and will represent the requirements of mortgage broker firms in the continued development of Revolution.
Revolution is a business solution software system for use by both Stonebridge Group appointed representatives (AR) and members of its directly authorised (DA) business, Stonebridge Genus. It is an end-to-end mortgage and protection platform for advisers and has been developed over a number of years to enhance all areas of a firm’s business activity from lead generation and sales progression through to business processing and customer retention.
Stonebridge has revealed that Revolution will see major capital investment in 2018/19 in order to deliver greater levels of functionality. McAleer will be tasked with helping deliver new innovative features which benefit mortgage brokers.
The Mortgage Shop (NI) Ltd is the largest AR firm within the Stonebridge Group network and has 40 advisers spread across 18 retail outlets in the country. In the last 12 months the business completed 3,500 mortgages.
Richard Adams, managing director of Stonebridge Group, said: “Stonebridge Group has delivered fantastic growth in recent years and a major part of that success has been through Revolution, the adviser take-up of the system and the benefits it provides to both firms and their clients. That said, we know we cannot stand still which is why we are putting significant resources and capital into the next stage of its development.
“In doing this we want to be sure we are acutely aware of what advisers want from this next version of the system, which is why we have brought Siobhan on board as Revolution’s newest NED. Her wealth of experience and understanding of what works (and what doesn’t) from an adviser perspective will be crucial in informing how we move the system forward.
“This is a very exiting phase of development for the wider Group and we have bold and ambitious plans for Revolution in particular so we are delighted to welcome Siobhan to the board and are sure she will be a major asset for us.”
McAleer added: “I am very pleased to be joining the Revolution board as its newest NED, especially given that Revolution was a key factor in my decision to join Stonebridge three years ago.
“The system drills down into the client interview, it is user-friendly and easily navigated. Technology in the financial services world is in a constant state of flux and to stand still is to be overtaken. I am therefore thrilled to be taking a bigger role in developing Revolution as I believe providing benefits to our clients, on whom we build our reputation, must be our primary focus.
“As the leader of a financial services business my main role is to keep abreast of developments in the industry and in the digital world. This sometimes involves bringing people along difficult paths. One of life’s certainties is that people resist change, but if you can sell that it’s important, do-able and has a positive outcome, change happens.
“Advisers welcome the discipline of a defined structure and the security of a robust system – something that Revolution already has in spades. Security and discipline allow for daring and daring helps with risk management, which in turn creates a competitive edge in our industry. What I am aiming to do with my greater involvement with Revolution is to create a positive feedback loop – happy advisers and happy clients.
“I am looking forward to working with Revolution team in order to enhance and develop this system because I believe it can deliver not just for my customers, but for all advisory businesses that use it.”
