Paul Smith Email & Phone Number

London, United Kingdom

We offer financial firms of all sizes and types, strategy, planning and solutions. Through this we can help companies address all sorts of compliance issues, from assessing how robust their systems and processes are, to making recommendations for improvements, training staff and communicating a culture of compliance within an organisations or helping to resolve issues and problems which may arise.From our work across a range of financial clients, firms using Thistle Initiatives benefit from our shared learning and experience. We pride ourselves on being pro-active and helping to keep you fully in the picture of the latest trends and FCA rulings.Our practice ranges from consumer insurances sold over the phone, to firms organising spread betting, offering their clients Unauthorised Collective Investment Schemes (UCIS) as well as IFA’s offering more general financial advice. Thorough FCA compliance management is a relatively recent experience for many firms but it is something which is becoming ever more important and recently has moved at such a pace, it is difficult for many firms to keep up to date with. But, with the stricter compliance rules and harsher penalties for not adhering to them, it is vital that a firm’s compliance regime is kept fully up to date. In the modern financial services sector it must be an absolute priority that compliance is baked into the business model. This is where Thistle Initiatives can help.Currently we have more than 50 talented people working with us and a bank of approximately 2500 Associates to assist our clients. Skills range from assisting an IFA who needs help with a suitability audit to a retail bank who needs a project manager and a team of people to deliver a complex enforcement project – at Thistle we aim to cater for all your needs.

I have been resposible for helping GSR evolve from essentially being the vehicle of one individual to beoming a multi-talented firm that has recently become a Lloyd’s broker. In the process the firm has seen a trebling of its commission income and a diversification of its client base.

I was responbile for developing UKG from its beginnings as a department into a firm employing over 150 people with a premium income in excess of £150 million. I was responsible to the shareholders both for the development of strategy and its implementation. This included new products. developing new clients and a multi-channel approach. In addition at my time the firm became authorised by the FCA and was keen to see itself as developing a good quality compliance culture. In addition to providing good levels of growth it also managed to produce some excellent returns for its various

Bachelor’S Degree, Law, 2.2

Education record

Education record