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About us

One of the UK’s leading advice networks

One of the UK’s leading advice networks

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The history of The Openwork Partnership

Responsible business

Securing futures through trusted advice

We are The Openwork Partnership and we’re the go-to place for holistic financial advice. We’re one of the largest, most established advice networks with a history stretching back over 50 years. 

At the heart of our business is a community of almost 5,000 financial advisers in over 800 firms.

Our group

Omnis Investments

Our in-house investment manager with over £10bn of assets under management, exclusively available to our advisers.

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2plan Wealth Management

Our independent advisory network offering tailored, whole-of-market wealth advice.

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Owl Financial

Our mortgage and protection network supporting advisers who serve their local communities, making advice clear, accessible and relevant.

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Openwork Foundation

Our charitable foundation providing grants to UK-registered charities nominated by our colleagues, advisers and firms.

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Shareholder Council

The governing body of the Openwork Partnership LLP responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the LLP.

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Our leadership team

Philip Howell

Executive Chairman

Philip Howell

Philip joined us as Chief Executive in 2020 and now serves as Executive Chairman, focused on driving long-term, sustainable growth for our network and the businesses we support. Following an early military career, he spent 24 years with Barclays in senior international leadership roles. He has focused on wealth management in the last two decades, leading businesses including Fortis, Williams de Broe and Rathbones where he delivered significant growth in assets and market value. Philip is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, AMP. He is also committed to supporting veterans’ rehabilitation and advancing innovative PTSD treatments as a trustee of Supporting Wounded Veterans.

Rob Barker (2)

Chief Executive Officer

Rob Barker

Rob became Chief Executive Officer in September 2025. He leads our group strategy, performance and culture, driving sustainable growth so we deliver good outcomes for our advisers and their clients. Rob has over 30 years of leadership experience across insurance, wealth, and asset management. He began his career in the South African insurance industry before moving to the UK a decade ago. He has since held senior positions in Alvarez & Marsal as Head of Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management EMEA, and as CEO of Aviva’s Wealth and Protection divisions. Rob is passionate about delivering innovation and long-term value through purpose-led leadership. Outside of work, he is a keen fan of both rugby and motorsport.

Jennifer Mathias

Chief Finance Officer

Jennifer Mathias

Jennifer joined The Openwork Partnership in January 2025 as Chief Finance Officer. She oversees our financial performance and strategy, ensuring we continue to deliver sustainable growth. Jennifer brings over 30 years of experience in corporate, private and wealth banking. She started her career at Lloyds, becoming Finance Director of Corporate Banking before holding CFO posts at Coutts and EFG Private Bank. She joined Rathbones as Group CFO in 2019, where she led a major digital transformation and several acquisitions (including Investec Wealth UK).

Rob Askham

Chief Commercial Officer

Rob Askham

Rob joined The Openwork Partnership as Proposition Director in 2022 before taking up the role of Chief Commercial Officer in 2025. He leads the development of products, propositions and commercial partnerships, defining how Openwork supports advisers and driving the Partnership’s commercial growth. He began his career as an analyst at Abbey Wealth before spending 16 years at Santander Asset Management, culminating in his role as Commercial Director where he led commercial development across retail and institutional channels.

Carrie Morris

Chief People Officer

Carrie Morris

Carrie joined us as Chief People Officer in 2018. She focuses on getting the best out of our people, shaping our culture, development and capability to help colleagues succeed. Carrie also leads the Openwork Business School which offers lifetime support and development opportunities to our advisers. She started her career as a HR operations manager with Zurich before taking up increasingly senior HR roles at Wessex Water, Vodafone and Apetito. She rejoined the world of finance in 2016 as HR Director of AXA Group Operations, Middle & Northern Europe.

Stuart Bowden

Chief Risk & Compliance Officer

Stuart Bowden

Stuart joined us as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer in 2022, heading up our risk, compliance and information security teams to ensure we deliver good customer outcomes whilst keeping everyone in our network safe. He started his career in consultancy at Deloitte before a 15-year stint at Prudential UK, beginning as a risk and compliance manager and culminating in his appointment as Director of Enterprise & Operational Risk. He then spent four years at Compare The Market as Director of Risk & Compliance. Stuart volunteers as a business coach with the non-profit Pilotlight, working with selected charities to challenge their strategies and help them become more economically empowered.

Erica Mandryko

Chief of Staff and General Counsel

Erica Mandryko

Erica joined us in 2015 and became Chief of Staff and General Counsel in 2022. She leads our legal, company secretariat and sustainability functions and also oversees The Openwork Foundation, where she serves as a trustee. A corporate lawyer by background, Erica has over 20 years’ experience across law firms and financial services. Her career has taken her to New York, Paris and the British Virgin Islands, where she spent seven years as an offshore corporate lawyer. Erica is passionate about sustainability and helping the business operate responsibly while giving back to the communities we serve.

Philip Howell
Executive Chairman
Rob Barker (2)
Chief Executive Officer
Jennifer Mathias
Chief Finance Officer
Rob Askham
Chief Commercial Officer
Carrie Morris
Chief People Officer
Stuart Bowden
Chief Risk & Compliance Officer
Erica Mandryko
Chief of Staff and General Counsel

Our leadership team

Philip Howell

Philip Howell

Executive Chairman

Philip joined us as Chief Executive in 2020 and now serves as Executive Chairman, focused on driving long-term, sustainable growth for our network and the businesses we support. Following an early military career, he spent 24 years with Barclays in senior international leadership roles. He has focused on wealth management in the last two decades, leading businesses including Fortis, Williams de Broe and Rathbones where he delivered significant growth in assets and market value. Philip is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, AMP. He is also committed to supporting veterans’ rehabilitation and advancing innovative PTSD treatments as a trustee of Supporting Wounded Veterans.

Rob Barker (2)

Rob Barker

Chief Executive Officer

Rob became Chief Executive Officer in September 2025. He leads our group strategy, performance and culture, driving sustainable growth so we deliver good outcomes for our advisers and their clients. Rob has over 30 years of leadership experience across insurance, wealth, and asset management. He began his career in the South African insurance industry before moving to the UK a decade ago. He has since held senior positions in Alvarez & Marsal as Head of Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management EMEA, and as CEO of Aviva’s Wealth and Protection divisions. Rob is passionate about delivering innovation and long-term value through purpose-led leadership. Outside of work, he is a keen fan of both rugby and motorsport.

Jennifer Mathias

Jennifer Mathias

Chief Finance Officer

Jennifer joined The Openwork Partnership in January 2025 as Chief Finance Officer. She oversees our financial performance and strategy, ensuring we continue to deliver sustainable growth. Jennifer brings over 30 years of experience in corporate, private and wealth banking. She started her career at Lloyds, becoming Finance Director of Corporate Banking before holding CFO posts at Coutts and EFG Private Bank. She joined Rathbones as Group CFO in 2019, where she led a major digital transformation and several acquisitions (including Investec Wealth UK).

Rob Askham

Rob Askham

Chief Commercial Officer

Rob joined The Openwork Partnership as Proposition Director in 2022 before taking up the role of Chief Commercial Officer in 2025. He leads the development of products, propositions and commercial partnerships, defining how Openwork supports advisers and driving the Partnership’s commercial growth. He began his career as an analyst at Abbey Wealth before spending 16 years at Santander Asset Management, culminating in his role as Commercial Director where he led commercial development across retail and institutional channels.

Carrie Morris

Carrie Morris

Chief People Officer

Carrie joined us as Chief People Officer in 2018. She focuses on getting the best out of our people, shaping our culture, development and capability to help colleagues succeed. Carrie also leads the Openwork Business School which offers lifetime support and development opportunities to our advisers. She started her career as a HR operations manager with Zurich before taking up increasingly senior HR roles at Wessex Water, Vodafone and Apetito. She rejoined the world of finance in 2016 as HR Director of AXA Group Operations, Middle & Northern Europe.

Stuart Bowden

Stuart Bowden

Chief Risk & Compliance Officer

Stuart joined us as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer in 2022, heading up our risk, compliance and information security teams to ensure we deliver good customer outcomes whilst keeping everyone in our network safe. He started his career in consultancy at Deloitte before a 15-year stint at Prudential UK, beginning as a risk and compliance manager and culminating in his appointment as Director of Enterprise & Operational Risk. He then spent four years at Compare The Market as Director of Risk & Compliance. Stuart volunteers as a business coach with the non-profit Pilotlight, working with selected charities to challenge their strategies and help them become more economically empowered.

Erica Mandryko

Erica Mandryko

Chief of Staff and General Counsel

Erica joined us in 2015 and became Chief of Staff and General Counsel in 2022. She leads our legal, company secretariat and sustainability functions and also oversees The Openwork Foundation, where she serves as a trustee. A corporate lawyer by background, Erica has over 20 years’ experience across law firms and financial services. Her career has taken her to New York, Paris and the British Virgin Islands, where she spent seven years as an offshore corporate lawyer. Erica is passionate about sustainability and helping the business operate responsibly while giving back to the communities we serve.

Responsible business

We want to harness the collective power of our network to create positive change. For us, responsible business means doing that in four key areas: our clients, our communities, our partnership, and our planet. 

Find out more about responsible business at The Openwork Partnership