Advice network The Openwork Partnership has appointed former Santander Asset Management UK commercial director Rob Askham as propositions director.

He took up his position today along with new managing director Stuart Dodson.

Mr Askham spent 21 years with Santander where he held a range of roles in asset management, mortgages and marketing.

He will concentrate on the development and delivery of products and services, marketing and the advice and sales process.

The network announced that adviser Stuart Dodson would join as its managing director when chief commercial officer Mike Morrow announced he was to step down in November.

Mr Morrow left last month.

Mr Dodson was formerly managing director of Newcastle Financial Advisers, a firm from within the network, a role he has held since 2013. He has previously held positions at Legal & General and the Money Advice Service.

The Openwork Partnership currently has over 4,300 financial advisers operating across the UK. It operates as a directly authorised, multi-panel distribution network.

Swindon-based Unique Financial Planning Limited and London-based Chartered Financial Planner The Penny Group became the first two businesses to sign five-year 'Strategic Partner Firm' contracts with the Openwork network in November.

The network launched new long-term strategic partnership agreements with major firms in its network with the aim of building stronger bonds with them.

Openwork sayid it has identified 18 businesses as potential Strategic Partner Firms, accounting for a quarter of assets under management across platforms and Omnis, The Openwork Partnership’s investment arm. Around 850 advisers work for these potential Strategic Partner Firms.

Last week the network added 17 entrants to its 2022 graduate training scheme. 

The Class of 2022 graduates, who joined the company in October last year, are now moving into trainee consultant roles.

They will also support the roll-out of The Openwork Partnership’s CRM system called ConcertHub.

Openwork said they have successfully completed their RO1 exams and will be trained on how to become a consultant by graduates from the company’s first graduate programme.  

The 17 graduates in the Class of 2022 will spend this year working with network firms on ConcertHub and will then have the option to be join two head office departments of their choice next year.

The first graduate scheme was launched in October 2019 and saw 14 graduates move through the training schedule.