Who we are
Business to business platform provider
Winterflood Business Services (WBS) is a business to business (B2B) platform provider whose award-winning service has seen us grow to over £12bn AUA with an expanding client list. Our highly skilled and experienced team are dedicated to providing the standards our clients rightly demand.
Our aim is to help solve client problems and ease their regulatory and administrative burden with secure, integrated and bespoke end-to-end solutions to achieve their investment objectives. Execution quality and excellent service is at the core of our business, all set out in our service level agreements for full transparency.
The WBS service is provided through our EOS platform, which is a proprietary system developed by our in-house development team. EOS is built using the latest technologies and is based on micro-service architecture, making the platform easy to scale and deploy new functionality. We are also market innovators, capable of recognising unfilled needs and developing products to suit our customers’ needs and changing regulatory requirements.
We became a separate division of Winterflood Securities in 2010, in response to demand from clients who were looking for ‘whole of market’ access and ‘custody services’. Our strategy remains to continue to invest in people, process and technology to allow us to scale for the growth in our existing business, as well as taking on new clients.
WBS Management Committee
Alex Kerry
Director & Head of Winterflood Business Services
Areas of expertise
- Strategic business leadership
- Innovation
- Commercial management
- In-depth industry knowledge across Wealth Management, Asset Management, Custody and Digital
As Head of WBS, Alex is responsible for the strategic direction of the business as well as the long-term vision, growth and profitability of the division. He was a co-founder of WBS, joining in 2010 and he has been instrumental to WBS’ success. He has over 20 years’ experience in financial services working with organisations including Barclays Private Bank, Barclays Wealth, Citigroup and Motorola Corporate Finance across multiple jurisdictions such as North America, Europe, Channel Islands and the UK. Alex was appointed to the Board of Winterflood Securities Ltd in 2019.
“My vision for WBS is for us to remain relentlessly client focussed and continue to drive innovation across the entire financial services eco-system by supporting our existing and future clients in their quest to change the shape of the industry as we know it”
Thomas Lowe
Head of Strategy and Product
Areas of expertise
- Digital wealth management
- Platform design and integration
- Product strategy
As Head of Strategy and Customer at WBS, Thomas is responsible for the proprietary dealing and custody platform, EOS, and works closely with the industry to develop the best solutions and integrations for companies.
He has extensive experience in the design and solution side of financial services, particularly in digital wealth management, and has worked with some of the largest investment companies in the UK. He has worked in various roles since joining the WBS team in 2013, specialising in system integrations, platform technology and products. He has worked on many large product launches and client migrations across the wealth management, digital advice, share plan and platform space.
“My vision is for WBS to be a vital part of the ever-changing technology underpinning Financial Services, as a new generation is reshaping the investing landscape. Products like fractional ETF trading are integral to that journey.”
Hannah Buffery
Head of Delivery
Areas of expertise
- Large-scale platform enhancements
- Change Management
- Solution Design
As Head of Delivery, Hannah is responsible for the delivery of new financial products and solutions for our clients. Covering a wide breadth of projects from new technology integrations in the form of cloud, ensuring our clients are leading the way with their own retail products such as JISA and fractional trading. Working across the WBS client basis to ensure WBS remains at the forefront of the platform industry and provides the best solutions for a wide range of clients/models. Hannah has extensive experience in operational and dealing solutions across platforms, previously working at HSBC, Macquarie starting her career at Computershare. Hannah joined WBS at the start of its journey working in various roles since joining the WBS team back in 2011, really specialising in operational and dealing enhancements, growth and solutions. Supporting migrations of newly onboarded clients ensuring their experience of WBS and their growth journey is fully integrated with WBS.
Sam Blackburn
Head of Retail
Areas of expertise
- Client engagement
- Financial services expertise & deep industry knowledge
- Relationship development
As the Head of Retail, Sam is responsible for maintaining, enhancing and evolving the WBS Retail proposition. Key to this is ensuring WBS Retail products and services continue to meet our clients’ needs, deliver good outcomes and help facilitate their growth. This is delivered through positive client engagement and a solution-based approach.
Sam has broad expertise across the Financial Services working with some of the largest providers in the retail stockbroking, platform and asset management industries. With experience in propositional development, brokerage, senior relationship management and business development, he brings a breadth of knowledge and experience with him.
Sam is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and has recently led the WBS implementation of the FCA’s Consumer Duty regulation.
“I’m passionate about our clients; understanding them and their needs and working in partnership to deliver the best possible customer outcomes.”
James Wharton
Head of Custody Operations
Areas of expertise
- Investment operations
- Client money & assets (CASS)
- Process optimisation
As Head of Custody Operations at WBS, James is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of WBS and CASS Oversight for Winterflood Securities as a whole. He has over 10 years’ experience within operational oversight and management and has been responsible for CASS across both retail and institutional sectors.
He plays a key role in the growth of the WBS technology by ensuring that innovation is complimented with robust usability across the platform and ensures that we future proof our build for all prevailing regulation and operational advancements.
"I’m very proud of how we have leveraged WBS’ cutting edge platform technology to optimise our processes and controls in operations. Ensuring staff have the best tools at their disposal has enabled them to focus on putting the client at the heart of everything they do”
Darren Hepworth
Head of Software Engineering
Areas of expertise
- Financial services expertise and deep industry knowledge
- Strategic relationships and client partner management
- Business transformation & growth
As Head of Service & Delivery at WBS, Darren is responsible for establishing and growing our client and strategic relationships and overseeing change to the proprietary dealing and custody platform. As part of the WBS Management Committee, he also ensures WBS delivers against its strategy and financial budget. His wide industry experience and broad network compliment the senior team.
He is an accomplished and versatile executive with 30 years’ experience in financial services with a focus on digital and direct business models. He has global experience working with institutions across the UK, continental Europe and North America. He is a strategic and innovative thinker with a proven track record of delivering strong, profitable growth through deep focus on customer experience and outcomes. Darren is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
“I believe passionately in growing wealth through investing. As such I’m committed to helping our customers deliver the best possible service and proposition in order to help achieve this.”
Philip Smith
Head of WBS Corporate and Trustee Markets
- Financial Services
- Business Strategy
- Relationship Management
- Stockbroking & Execution
Philip has 30 plus years’ experience in the City, primarily working in the banking sector, working with organisations including Numis Securities, Hoare Govett, NatWest Stockbrokers and UBS. Phil’s role at Winterflood Business Solutions is to lead a new division – Corporate and Trustee Dealing, a bespoke business that offers a high touch client experience across the corporate & employee incentive space.
His ambition is to identify and deliver innovation across his sector, offering an agile business approach to the growing and ever-changing client requirements.
Steve Croucher
Commercial Officer
Areas of expertise
- Strategic business leadership
- Commercial management
- Business development
As Commercial Officer, Steve is responsible for expanding client relationships, driving sales initiatives, and overseeing seamless client implementations. Steve brings a wide breadth of experience reflecting a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the evolving platform industry. Previously holding the position of Managing Director for EMEA at Morningstar Investment Management, Chief Operating Officer at Bordier & Cie for six years, and Chief Operating Officer at Skandia Investment Group for 16 years.
“Joining the team at WBS is a great opportunity to be a part of a dynamic organisation at the forefront of solution-led platform technology. I really enjoy collaborating with clients to understand their needs and connecting those into WBS's wealth of experience and technology to build meaningful customer improvements.”
Winterflood Securities has been servicing its clients' needs for more than 30 years, committed to providing liquidity and flexible execution services to institutional investors, retail brokers and asset managers. Winterflood is ranked number 1 in the UK Equity Market by volume traded.* offering access to 15,000 tradable instruments.
In addition to the WBS business, Winterflood also offer the following:
- Execution services: equities, fixed income, investment trusts, exchange traded products, funds, structured products, Smart Order Routing and algorithmic trading.
- Investment trusts: brokerage & research.
*Source: LSE Report, CY 2018, Principal Business with agent member firms.
Winterflood Securities is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Close Brothers Group plc.
Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services, and securities trading. The group employs around 3,300 people, principally in the UK. Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250.
Close Brothers celebrated its 140-year anniversary in 2018 and continues to invest its time, energy and money in looking towards the future.
Close Brothers call it Modern Merchant Banking.
Award winning innovator in aggregation and automation
WBS is recognised as a leading innovator in aggregation and automation. We were awarded the 'Best Strategic Platform Partner' award at the Platform Awards 2017 for our EOS institutional platform and technology advancement. In 2018, WBS was awarded the 'Leading Innovation' award for the launch of the WBS fractional ETF trading service.
