Jan Thornbury joins financial services consultancy TORI Global
Former KPMG Director Jan Thornbury has joined professional services group TORI Global. As the new Head of People and Culture Transformation at TORI, she will help the company strengthen their offering and respond to increased regulatory compliance obligations.
The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) is part of the UK financial regulator’s plan to improve culture, governance and accountability within financial services companies. Since 2016, it has applied to UK banks, building societies, credit unions, and foreign banks operating in the UK, as well as the largest investment firms regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). From December, the regime will be rolled out to solo-regulated firms, which are regulated by the FCA alone, to discourage misconduct by improving individual accountability for their conduct and competence.
The changes to the SM&CR coming into force at the end of 2019 are likely to boost demand for regulatory consulting services, as businesses look for advice and strategic services which can help them navigate the new set-up. In preparation for this, financial services advisory firm TORI Global has appointed a new Head of People Transformation and Culture Change in the form of Jan Thornbury. Bringing 30 years of experience in the professional services sector, Thornbury will be responsible for assisting and advising clients with strategic and cultural transformation.
Commenting on her appointment, Jan Thornbury said, “The need for financial services businesses to address issues around culture has never been more acute. Whether it be regulatory, board or customer pressure driving this need, the urgency is clear. TORI has deep expertise and a strong reputation in the financial services sector, and really ‘get’ the need for focusing on purpose, culture and people alongside process and technology. I am delighted to be joining the team.”
Thornbury joins TORI having been a Director of her own independent firm for the last eight years. Prior to focusing solely on Thornbury Consulting Associates, which will continue its work alongside Thornbury’s new role at TORI, she spent a year as Head of Strategic Programmes at Addleshaw Goddard. This followed 11 years with Big Four firm KPMG, where she began her career as a Consultant, becoming a Director in the firm’s International Chairman's Office by the end of her stay with the organisation. She holds an MBA from Henley Business School, and a Degree in Atomic Physics from Ruhr University Bochum.
Chris Renardson, Managing Director at TORI Global, remarked, “Jan’s arrival at TORI Global demonstrates our understanding of the importance of a strong culture when providing our clients with advice. Clients across the industry are increasingly focusing on culture, and business leaders often need assistance in engaging their people and embedding the right values and behaviours in their organisations. With increased disruption in the sector, regulatory pressure and everchanging demands from both customers and employees, we look forward to supporting our clients by delivering the added value that Jan’s expertise and experience brings.”
Strategic and cultural transformation is a service which TORI is seeking to grow, in response to increased demand from clients in the light of more rigorous scrutiny from the regulator and a drive for greater accountability and transparency in the sector. It has also long been recognised that a strong corporate culture leads to superior levels of employee engagement and enhanced performance, so people and culture transformation will be a key component of TORI’s ‘Operational Excellence’ offer to UK businesses.
