Fairstone strengthens senior leadership team with new appointment

Wealth management group Fairstone has recruited its first Chief Operations Officer as part of a restructure that strengthens its senior leadership team.

Oli Plant joins the company after leadership and operational roles at wealth manager Evelyn Partners and global management consultancy firm Oliver Wyman, where he worked for clients including Lloyds, Natwest and Santander.

His recruitment forms part of a restructure of Fairstone’s senior leadership team by CEO Steven Cooper CBE, who took the top job in November 2025.

Oli said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Fairstone at such an exciting time in the company’s development.

“Having seen its growth from the outside, it’s great to now be playing a part in that expansion as we look to help thousands more clients to achieve their financial goals and face the future with confidence.

“There’s a real buzz about the place and a terrific energy that’s brilliant to see. I’m looking forward to meeting more of my new colleagues and working with them to achieve our ambitions as a business.”

Oli has more than 15 years’ experience in financial services and the wealth management industry and has worked on a raft of projects in areas including digital transformation, product design and commercial transformation.

Most recently he was Head of Digital Wealth Management at Evelyn Partners where he drove adoption of and engagement with digital channels, as well as running the Bestinvest online investment platform.

In his new role, Oli will be bringing together all Fairstone’s technology and operations functions to further enhance the way the business supports clients and advisers.

Fairstone CEO Steven Cooper CBE said: “We’re delighted to bring on board someone of Oli’s calibre and accomplishments in the industry.

“He knows the wealth management sector inside-out and has a proven track record of enhancing client and colleague experiences.

“We know how much our clients already value and trust our advice, but we want to help more people in more areas and Oli’s experience will be invaluable in this regard.

“Together with the changes we are implementing at senior level, this puts us in a great position to pursue our expansion plans and realise our ambition of reaching £40bn in client assets under management by the end of 2030.”

Fairstone’s senior leadership restructure sees Group Managing Director Russell Bignall becoming Chief Financial Planning Officer, where he will head up the group’s drive to expand its client base and deliver more services to existing clients.

Russell will also lead relationships with platform providers as Fairstone looks to deliver best value for clients and greater insights for its workforce.

Nick Stebbing becomes Chief Product & Proposition Officer where he will build on the success of products like the Fairstone Nova Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) to create a broader range of compelling propositions and products for clients.

Claire Dent moves from HR Director to Chief People Officer where she will continue to lead on activities including learning and development (including apprenticeships, career pathways, and the academy), colleague engagement and recruitment.

Along with other senior leaders in the Fairstone team, they will form part of an Operating Committee which sits directly under the CEO.

Steven Cooper said: “By creating a flatter organisational structure with clear responsibilities and reporting lines, we’re aiming to make it even easier and quicker to do business with us and to do more things for more clients.

“Building on the fantastic success we have had and the reputation we have built for client-focused services, I’m very excited about the prospects of our business and the progress we can make.”

Fairstone continues to grow strongly both organically and through acquisitions with revenue for the year ended December 2025 of £180m, an increase of 15% on the previous year.

Client assets under advice now total £22.7bn across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The group has invested in its UK and Ireland network, establishing a series of regional hubs that are being developed into operational centres of excellence.

These hubs will reflect the structure of Fairstone’s head office, embedding core functions within local teams to improve delivery and support.

They add to an office network covering more than 50 locations across the UK and Ireland and a further 32 partnership firms.