An ex-IFP President has been hired by the CISI for its new role of head of Financial Planning.

Campbell Edgar MCSI, past holder of the CFPTM certification, takes up the top position. Jacqueline Lockie CFPTM Chartered FCSI becomes the new deputy head of Financial Planning.

The two new senior staff will join the CISI as it begins the launch of its new Level 4 Financial Planning and Advice qualification, of which the first exam sittings will be in August 2016.

Mr Edgar was President of the IFP from 2002 – 2004. He has worked as director and partner at John Lamb and he was senior consultant at Anderson Charnley Limited (now Cannacord). He was also director at Bloomsbury Financial Planning (now a branch of Raymond James Investment Services Limited).

He said: "I am extremely pleased to be joining the CISI at this exciting time in the development of the financial planning profession in the UK and I am looking forward to leading the strategy to support the profession’s growth.”

Ms Lockie was head of adviser training at the AIC and was previously director of training and education at the IFP. She has worked as a Financial Planner and Paraplanner with Caulfield Cavells Financial Services and is involved in running the Money Management Financial Planner of the Year Awards 2016.

She said: “I am very passionate about financial planning and so I am looking forward to working with Campbell Edgar and the CISI team to further promote the CFPTM certification, increase awareness of the importance of financial planning to the UK consumer and help young people learn how vibrant, worthwhile and interesting a career in the financial planning community can be.”

In a message to members, CISI chief executive Simon Culhane Chartered FCSI, said: “Campbell and Jacqueline will be starting with us on 3 May 2016. Their key priorities will be to promote and grow the financial planning profession, including raising greater awareness of the CFPTM certification, the global standard for financial planning.

“We are delighted to have two very experienced financial planners join the CISI as we look to bring the CFPTM certification to a wider audience. Both Campbell and Jacqueline are very well known in the financial planning community and will increase the dedicated CISI financial planning team to four.

“We very much look forward to Campbell and Jacqueline joining us and I am sure you will all join with me in welcoming them to their new roles within the CISI.”