London, 12 February 2026 – The Openwork Partnership (“Openwork”) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Ed Bailey as Principal of The Openwork Business School (“Business School”), a centre of excellence for learning and long-term success in financial services. Ed assumes the role with immediate effect, succeeding Helen Longland, who has transitioned to become Director of Owl Financial, Openwork’s UK-wide financial protection advice business.
Ed has already been a key driving force behind the evolution of the Business School as part of its leadership team, making him exceptionally well placed to lead it into its next chapter. Having worked across Openwork in adviser development roles for nearly nine years, Ed has previously held senior roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group and Halifax.
Under Ed’s leadership, the Business School will continue to sit at the heart of Openwork, supporting the recruitment, training and professional development of advisers to ensure a strong pipeline of talent across member firms, and equipping advisers with the skills they need to succeed.
Ed's appointment reinforces the success and growth of the Business School’s programmes. In 2025, almost 4000 Openwork advisers were supported in their development by the Business School, an increase of 10% from 2024. Total completions of the Adviser Licensing Programme were up 25% in 2025, and delegate invites for the 'Building a Thriving Chartered Community Programme' have more than tripled in 2026 to meet demand. Finally, the Business School’s highly successful Route-to-Principal Programme has been reaccredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) for 2026, with data showing that participants experience more than double the growth in APE compared to those advisers not on the programme.
Ed Bailey, Principal of The Openwork Business School said, “I’m excited for the year ahead and what we have in store for both colleagues and advisers as we continue to evolve the Business School to meet the needs of our Partnership. Openwork is on an exciting journey and the Business School will help propel our growth through upskilling across every stage of the adviser lifecycle. As one of the largest in the sector, the Business School is playing a critical role in ensuring the development of talent and securing the future of the financial advice industry. I look forward to being part of that journey."
Rob Barker, Chief Executive Officer at The Openwork Partnership added, “We’re delighted to have Ed take the helm of the Business School at such an important time for Openwork. Putting the training and development of financial advisers in place, whether they are new entrants, second careerists or experienced professionals, at the centre of our Partnership reflects our deep commitment to ensuring the continued growth of the sector. And with Ed’s extensive experience of adviser development, we are putting the Business School in good stead to be a centre of excellence for advisers.”
About The Openwork Partnership
The Openwork Partnership is one of the UK’s largest financial services networks with the group having over 4,800 advisers operating across the UK. It operates as a directly authorised, multi-panel distribution network.
The Openwork Partnership operates panels for pensions, annuities, and protection (life assurance, critical illness, General Insurance). Omnis Investments, the investment arm of the group, offers a range of investment funds, managed by some of the best fund managers in the market, as well as a managed portfolio service.
In the mortgage sector The Openwork Partnership operates a panel of over 50 lenders for mortgages and is among the top three networks for almost all the major mortgage providers.
The Openwork Group is majority-owned by the Openwork Partnership LLP with Bain Capital and its employees holding minority stakes.
Media contact
Josh Dowley
Hawthorn Advisors
+44 (0)7523 804141
openwork@hawthornadvisors.com