Iress adds ops, customer service leads

Iress has recruited two new executives to run client services and operations at its wealth business.

The appointments of Amara Haqqani and Kelli Willmer follow several new senior management hires earlier this year.

Haqqani has been appointed chief operating officer for wealth in Australia and New Zealand.

As operations chief, Haqqani oversees the delivery of strategic, operational and financial outcomes for the wealth business.

She joins from Bennelong Funds Management, where as chief client strategy officer, she also oversaw product development and management, regulatory affairs, and corporate sustainability.

Haqqani has extensive, diverse experience in policy and research, compliance and regulatory affairs, product development and client management, in Australia and North America.

She has worked for firms such as Aviva, RBC Global Asset Management, Equity Trustees, Challenger and most recently actuarial consulting firm Milliman.

In the newly created role of chief customer officer for wealth in Australia and New Zealand, Kelli Willmer will look after client engagement, account management, business development, client solutions, and product support.

She joined Iress in 2015, leading the independent financial adviser client account-management team, before becoming head of the commercial office and head of the transformation office.

Before Iress, she held senior roles at BT Financial Group and other advice practices.

"Kelli and Amara bring complementary skill sets and impressive experience to the Wealth team, with a combination of deep internal understanding of Iress and its client, and extensive knowledge of the broader industry's policy environment and priorities," said Iress chief executive of Wealth Harry Mitchell.

"Their values-based leadership styles and strong track records of delivering consistent commercial and strategic outcomes will be a great asset to Iress as we drive improved value for our wealth clients now and into the future."

The two roles will allow Iress to get closer to clients and drive higher performance as it grows, he added.

In April, the technology company overhauled the organisation and hired Pendal veteran Cameron Williamson as finance chief and James Sinclair as its new head of growth and partnerships, superannuation.