Iress appointed John Parker as business development head as it prepares for under-pressure wealth and advice firms to increasingly turn to its solutions. . John Parker has joined the company as head of business development, UK wealth.

He previously held business development roles at software firms iPipeline and CTC, along with Aviva, and recently ran his own financial advice firm, Parker Financial Advice. Parker, who in the past has been a client of Iress? financial planning and wealth management software Xplan, will be responsible for driving customer growth and working with wealth and advice firms to modernize technology. His appointment is part of Iress?

strategic plan to realign its software with changing customer needs. Iress, which counts firms including Quilter, Evelyn, Mattioli Woods and Hurst Point among its clients, noted that consumer duty, annual advice reviews and continued consolidation are putting back-office technology platforms under pressure. It said that while it is an ?exciting?

time for wealth management, 50-70% of a typical wealth adviser?s time is consumed by admin, taking time away from generating new leads and returns for customers. John is a natural fit and is an important part of the changes we?re making at Iress. He has a strong understanding of financial technologies, which combined with his experience as an IFA means he?s ideally placed to support clients, influence product design and drive growth for Iress.