Financial Planning, investment and mortgages firm Beaufort Group has appointed Chartered Financial Planner Jade Connolly as chief operating officer.

Ms Connolly will take over from Clive Goldthorpe who will step back from day-to-day involvement with the firm at the end of March, but will continue involvement on a consultancy basis.

Prior to joining Beaufort Group, Ms Connolly held a range of senior operational roles at Ascot Lloyd. She was also head of paraplanning at Thomas Miller Investment.

She is a Chartered Financial Planner and a fellow of the Personal Finance Society.

Derrick Dunne, CEO at Beaufort Group, said: “It’s clear that Jade puts client satisfaction at the heart of everything she does, which makes her the perfect person for this role. As we look to further expand our proposition, her proven track record in combining technical knowledge with delivering optimal client outcomes will be a huge asset to us. We are very pleased to welcome her to the team.

“We are also hugely grateful to Clive for all he has done for the business and are delighted he will remain involved in a consultancy capacity after working closely with Jade to hand over his responsibilities in the coming months.”

Ms Connolly said: “Demand for outstanding financial advice and investment services continues to increase and I am delighted to be joining Beaufort Group at this crucial time. Clive has made an invaluable contribution to the business over the last eight years and I look forward to building on his work and playing my part in the firm’s future development.”