Financial services regulatory consultancy Bovill expands into US

Bovill, a financial services regulatory consulting firm, has expanded its global footprint by entering the US. To head the new operation, located in Chicago, the firm has appointed Andra Purkalitis as a Partner and Head of Americas.

Established in 1999, Bovill is a specialist consultancy that provides regulatory advice to financial services institutions, including banks, insurance companies, regulators, brokers, wealth managers and FinTech. In recent years, the consulting firm has seen steady growth to a team of over 80 consultants, working from offices in the UK (London and Manchester), Singapore and Hong Kong.

In line with the firm’s growth ambitions, Bovill recently opened an office in the US, with a value of $55 billion the globe’s largest consultancy market. From its new base in Chicago, the consultancy will service US based clients and global clients doing business in the US.

“Businesses across multiple jurisdictions are seeking greater assistance as the international financial services sector faces more exposure to increasing economic risk. With bases already in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, the opening of our Chicago office is a significant milestone, expanding our ability to assist and service clients in the US, UK, Europe and Asia. Given the rapidly changing global regulatory landscape, this is an exciting time to be extending our global mark,” said Ben Blackett-Ord, Bovill’s founder and Chief Executive.

The new US wing is led by Andra Purkalitis, Partner and Head of Americas and an experienced financial services executive who has held a number of senior leadership positions. Most recently, she was Regional Chief Executive Officer, and previously Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Aviva Investors Americas. Other prior roles included Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel at Old Mutual Capital; and Branch Chief and Enforcement Attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Blackett-Ord said he is “absolutely delighted” to welcome Andra on board, in what he describes as a pivotal time in Bovill’s development. Commenting on her new challenge, Purkalitis said, “I am very excited to be a part of Bovill and its continued growth. Bovill’s decision to directly enter the US market is an indication of the growing demand for its practical advice and effective solutions related to US financial regulation and cross border initiatives.”

New hire: Jacob Wissum

On the other side of the Atlantic, in Q1 of this year Bovill bolstered its Asian investment and brokerage team with Jacob Wissum. Prior to joining Bovill, he was Head of Legal & Compliance for Asia Pacific at Saxo Bank, covering multiple jurisdictions such as Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Australia.

His previous role included the rebuilding of the legal and compliance functions across APAC, and providing hands on and practical and pragmatic support to the first line sales Directors, and close liaison with regulators, and with the overseas group legal and compliance functions.

At Bovill, Jacob will continue to work with clients in Asia, providing both ongoing and ad-hoc regulatory compliance consulting services. “We are excited to be expanding the Bovill team to meet the increasing regulatory demands in Asia. We welcome Jacob’s expertise and are delighted to have him on board,” remarked Blackett-Ord.