Rob Thompson has been poached by Macquarie to generate platform business.
Former Skandia regional manager Rob Thompson has jumped ship to shore up new business for Macquarie Wrap.
Thompson has joined the ranks of Macquarie Adviser Services as a strategic business manager based out of Perth.
Thompson was Skandia's Western Australia (WA) and South Australia (SA) regional manager for two and a half years.
Prior to Skandia, he was Portfolio Partners' national business development manager (BDM).
Thompson said he made the move from Skandia because Macquarie is a bigger business and very well resourced.
"We had a lot of success while I was at Skandia [but] the challenge for me career wise is to extend myself more broadly," he said.
Thompson will be approaching dealer groups who do not currently use Macquarie Wrap, with the intention of broadening the platform's use in external markets throughout WA.
"There are still some areas Macquarie has not had the penetration it might [have]," he said.
Thompson would not be drawn into which dealers he would be focusing on but said top-end independent financial advisers with national operations are in his sights.
"I have a strong understanding of how the local market works and have an established network of contacts," he said.
"Rather than being a product pusher, it's more a strategic business [role]."
He replaces Eliza Zotti, who has moved to Sydney to the job of senior product development manager within Macquarie Adviser Services.
In the wake of Thompson's departure, Skandia has reshuffled its BDM team by separating the management of its WA and SA operations.
Nathan Morgan will lead Skandia's WA office after being promoted to senior BDM.
David Bird will run Skandia's operations in SA. He previously reported to Thompson.
In Part 2 of our exclusive series, we ask leading names to nominate their best investments, the most effective industry group and the importance of platforms.
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