International investment and financial planning firm Blacktower Financial Management’s Cayman entity has announced the appointment of Jim McLean as Head of Private Wealth and Chris Shaw as Chief Compliance Officer.
Cayman, September 2022
Blacktower Financial Management Cayman, provider of financial services and independent wealth management advice, has announced the addition of two new accomplished industry leaders to their team, continuing the entity’s expansion of their services, footprint, and licensing. Both will be working alongside Group Executive Director, Ally Kerr, who oversees the operations of Blacktower Cayman.
The first appointment is of Jim McLean as Head of Private Wealth, working in partnership with the existing team, Jim will provide expertise for clients with complex personal financial and business requirements. Commencing his career in financial services in 1974, McLean has worked within some of the leading and most reputable financial establishments across the globe, such as Barclays, AXA, Coutts, and Fidelity Cayman. His area of expertise lies in retail banking and lending, with much complementary experience in sales and marketing.
The second addition sees Chris Shaw appointed as Chief Compliance Officer. Shaw will be guiding the entity and its advisers on regulatory conduct, ensuring that Blacktower Cayman continues to uphold its conformity to the relevant regulations and processes that protect both financial advice firms and their clients. Before joining Blacktower, Shaw also spent time at Fidelity Cayman as their Group Head of Compliance, with additional experience at the FCA and MRLO/MLCO within a compliance capacity.
Group Managing Director, Gavin Pluck, comments that ‘we are fortunate to already have an extremely experienced and competent compliance team here at Blacktower, something which is intrinsic in upholding the standard of service we pride ourselves on; it gives our advisers confidence in their roles and in turn provides security for our clients. Having Chris join one of the fastest-growing divisions of the group will help to ensure that we continue our strict compliance to all necessary regulations upon which our heritage and prestige has been built’.
Group Chairman, John Westwood, comments that the addition of Jim McLean will ‘help to cement the direction of our Cayman entity, putting emphasis on growth and development in an area where demand is high. Jim’s appointment will allow us to personalise our services to our clients further, making our offering truly bespoke and enabling the provision of effective solutions to individuals who might be experiencing significant stress or uncertainty when it comes to securing their financial future.’
This team expansion follows the entity’s recent acquisition of a full Broker Dealer license, as granted by CIMA.
The Cayman Islands or “Cayman” consists of three islands; Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. They remained mostly uninhabited until the 17th century. The earliest settlors consisted of pirates, refugees, “lost at sea” sailors and migrants from other neighboring islands. In 1670, England gained control of the islands which remains a British Overseas Territory to this day.