Former Asia-Pacific chief executive of Ignition Advice, Craig Keary, has been appointed chair at leading digital platform Ensombl.
In the role, Keary will lead the 8,000 strong advice community through its next phase of growth, overseeing a Series A capital raising program to the tune of some $3 million, further investing in its advisor insights technology platform, and the opening of its first overseas operation.
The firm’s global expansion would be in Cape Town, South Africa, where it has had a presence since at least 2021.
This month, it announced that the Ensombl Advice South Africa Podcast will celebrate a significant milestone of publishing its 100th episode.
According to Ensombl, its recent rebranding from XY Adviser is specifically designed to support this international expansion.
Chief executive, Clayton Daniel, said this next phase of growth is “ultimately about investing in the community” to solve more problems for more advisers.
“In simple terms, we are helping remove the barriers, and injecting the inspiration, so advice becomes more professional, more sustainable and more accessible. We are absolutely delighted to have a chair as experienced and visionary as Craig to lead us through this phase,” Daniel said.
Keary takes over as chair from Andrew Rocks, who has held the role since January 2020. Rocks will remain on the Ensombl board as a director.
Commenting on the appointment, Rocks said: “The timing was perfect to bring on someone of Craig’s calibre. The last four years have seen exceptional growth, with our community approaching 8,000 members, and around one in three advisors using our platform.
“Our podcast is now the most downloaded financial adviser podcast in Australia by a factor of 10. We are now ready to take the next step”.
Keary departed Ignition Advice in March 2023 though he continues as a senior adviser for Asia-Pacific at the firm.
Earlier this month, Andrew Baker, global head of strategy and corporate services at Ignition Advice, indicated to Money Management that the firm is moving away from a regional model and will not be appointing a dedicated Australian head to replace Keary.
