Evelyn Partners has announced that Paul Geddes has been appointed as the firm’s new chief executive and will take up the role in July.
Geddes, who is currently chief executive of QA Group, a higher education and workforce learning programmes provider, will succeed Chris Woodhouse, who is retiring from full-time executive management.
Woodhouse leaves the post after over five and a half years during which time he oversaw the merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson to become Evelyn Partners.
In a statement, the company said that under Woodhouse's leadership Evelyn Partners invested heavily in people, technology, and developing its range of services.
Geddes will join the business on July 3, subject to regulatory approval and will be supported by Woodhouse through the summer to ensure an orderly transition. He joins with over 33 years of experience, having most recently been chief executive of QA Group since 2019.
Prior to leading QA, he spent ten years as chief executive of Direct Line, the FTSE 250 insurance group, until 2019.
Geddes began his financial services career with RBS in 2004, eventually becoming chief executive of the Retail Bank in the UK Mainland, including NatWest, and a member of the RBS group executive committee, and then CEO of the Insurance Division.
Before joining RBS, and having graduated from Oxford, he held a number of marketing roles with well-known retail brands. He graduated from Oxford.
Evelyn Partners chair Chris Grigg said: “We are delighted that Paul is joining Evelyn Partners as our new chief executive officer. He is a highly accomplished business leader who brings a wealth of experience in financial services, a record of embracing technological innovation, a depth of experience in marketing and developing talent.
“He joins the business at a very exciting time with great opportunities ahead. In recent years, the business has completed a major integration, successfully rebranded, developed an unrivalled range of services, invested heavily in digital transformation and it has also delivered consistent, strong organic growth. Paul joins a great team, and I would like to pay tribute to Chris for the huge contribution he has made to the success of the business over the last five and half years.”
Geddes added: “It’s already clear to me that Evelyn Partners is a group with a proud past, but focused on the future, made up of outstanding professionals who deliver excellent outcomes in multiple disciplines to a diverse range of clients. I am relishing the opportunity to meet as many colleagues as possible across the group in my first few months as we work together on the next stage of our growth strategy,” he said.
Woodhouse described it as a privilege to have worked with such a talented team of people during his time as chief executive and wished the company every success in the future.
jane.matthews@ft.com
