The key figures who head up The Openwork Partnership

Philip Howell

Executive Chairman

Philip Howell

Philip joined The Openwork Partnership in March 2020 bringing with him a great depth of experience in Financial Services and Wealth Management. Following an early military career, Philip enjoyed a 24-year investment banking and private banking career with Barclays Group, including assignments as Regional CEO of SE Asia and of South Africa, and as Head of Strategy & Corporate Development. Post Barclays, Philip has focused on the wealth management sector for over 15 years, serving as CEO of Fortis Private Banking, Williams de Broe and latterly Rathbones Brothers Plc, where Philip spent 5 years as Chief Executive. Philip is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, AMP.

Rob Barker (2)

Chief Executive Officer

Rob Barker

Rob joined The Openwork Partnership as Chief Executive Officer in September 2025, bringing over 30 years of leadership experience across insurance, wealth, and asset management. He was previously Head of Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management EMEA at Alvarez & Marsal, and spent over a decade at Aviva, where his roles included CEO of their Wealth division, CEO of Protection and Health, and Chairman of Aviva Health. Rob is passionate about delivering innovation and long-term value through purpose-led leadership. Originally from South Africa, Rob has lived and worked in the UK for over a decade.

Carrie Morris

Chief People Officer

Carrie Morris

Carrie joined us as Chief People Officer in 2018 but her connection with us began in a previous incarnation of The Openwork Partnership. Carrie started her career at Zurich Financial Services, where she spent 10 years. With a passion for driving cultural change and engagement, Carrie has held multiple HR Director roles as well as Board membership in a range of industries sectors including telecoms, manufacturing, technology, music, and IT, both in the UK and with International responsibility. Working with global players with over 10,000 colleagues through to tech start-ups has given her a wealth of experience to draw from. Her last role before joining us was as European HR Director for AXA IT, where she was responsible for driving the people agenda to support them on their technology and cultural transformation.

Stuart Bowden

Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Stuart Bowden

Stuart joined The Openwork Partnership in September 2022 as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer. He leads a highly experienced team covering Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Data Protection and Financial Crime, supporting the network to deliver good outcomes while helping to keep everyone safe. With over 25 years in Financial Services, Stuart has held senior roles at the FCA, Prudential UK and Compare the Market. He also spent time in consultancy at Deloitte, giving him a broad perspective on regulatory and risk frameworks. He was drawn to The Openwork Partnership by the strength of the culture and ambition of the business, and is focused on helping the network navigate complexity with confidence.

Erica Mandryko (1)

Chief of Staff and General Counsel

Erika Mandryko

Erica joined The Openwork Partnership in 2015 and became a member of the Executive Committee 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.

Jennifer Mathias

Chief Finance Officer

Jennifer Mathias

Jennifer joined The Openwork Partnership in January 2025 as Chief Finance Officer and Executive Board Director. She brings three decades of Financial Services experience across corporate, private and wealth banking. She held senior leadership roles at Lloyds Bank, including during the integration of HBOS, before moving into the Global CFO role at Coutts. She later became CFO and Deputy CEO at EFG Private Bank UK, and Group CFO at Rathbones, where she led a major digital transformation and several acquisitions including Investec Wealth UK. Jenny is excited by the ambition the business has demonstrated, and is looking forward to playing a key role in the strategy to take the Partnership to the next chapter.

Philip Howell
Executive Chairman
Rob Barker (2)
Chief Executive Officer
Carrie Morris
Chief People Officer
Stuart Bowden
Chief Risk and Compliance Officer
Erica Mandryko (1)
Chief of Staff and General Counsel
Jennifer Mathias
Chief Finance Officer

The key figures who head up The Openwork Partnership

Philip Howell

Philip Howell

Executive Chairman

Philip joined The Openwork Partnership in March 2020 bringing with him a great depth of experience in Financial Services and Wealth Management. Following an early military career, Philip enjoyed a 24-year investment banking and private banking career with Barclays Group, including assignments as Regional CEO of SE Asia and of South Africa, and as Head of Strategy & Corporate Development. Post Barclays, Philip has focused on the wealth management sector for over 15 years, serving as CEO of Fortis Private Banking, Williams de Broe and latterly Rathbones Brothers Plc, where Philip spent 5 years as Chief Executive. Philip is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, AMP.

Rob Barker (2)

Rob Barker

Chief Executive Officer

Rob joined The Openwork Partnership as Chief Executive Officer in September 2025, bringing over 30 years of leadership experience across insurance, wealth, and asset management. He was previously Head of Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management EMEA at Alvarez & Marsal, and spent over a decade at Aviva, where his roles included CEO of their Wealth division, CEO of Protection and Health, and Chairman of Aviva Health. Rob is passionate about delivering innovation and long-term value through purpose-led leadership. Originally from South Africa, Rob has lived and worked in the UK for over a decade.

Carrie Morris

Carrie Morris

Chief People Officer

Carrie joined us as Chief People Officer in 2018 but her connection with us began in a previous incarnation of The Openwork Partnership. Carrie started her career at Zurich Financial Services, where she spent 10 years. With a passion for driving cultural change and engagement, Carrie has held multiple HR Director roles as well as Board membership in a range of industries sectors including telecoms, manufacturing, technology, music, and IT, both in the UK and with International responsibility. Working with global players with over 10,000 colleagues through to tech start-ups has given her a wealth of experience to draw from. Her last role before joining us was as European HR Director for AXA IT, where she was responsible for driving the people agenda to support them on their technology and cultural transformation.

Stuart Bowden

Stuart Bowden

Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Stuart joined The Openwork Partnership in September 2022 as Chief Risk & Compliance Officer. He leads a highly experienced team covering Risk, Compliance, Information Security, Data Protection and Financial Crime, supporting the network to deliver good outcomes while helping to keep everyone safe. With over 25 years in Financial Services, Stuart has held senior roles at the FCA, Prudential UK and Compare the Market. He also spent time in consultancy at Deloitte, giving him a broad perspective on regulatory and risk frameworks. He was drawn to The Openwork Partnership by the strength of the culture and ambition of the business, and is focused on helping the network navigate complexity with confidence.

Erica Mandryko (1)

Erika Mandryko

Chief of Staff and General Counsel

Erica joined The Openwork Partnership in 2015 and became a member of the Executive Committee 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.

Jennifer Mathias

Jennifer Mathias

Chief Finance Officer

Jennifer joined The Openwork Partnership in January 2025 as Chief Finance Officer and Executive Board Director. She brings three decades of Financial Services experience across corporate, private and wealth banking. She held senior leadership roles at Lloyds Bank, including during the integration of HBOS, before moving into the Global CFO role at Coutts. She later became CFO and Deputy CEO at EFG Private Bank UK, and Group CFO at Rathbones, where she led a major digital transformation and several acquisitions including Investec Wealth UK. Jenny is excited by the ambition the business has demonstrated, and is looking forward to playing a key role in the strategy to take the Partnership to the next chapter.