Sesame Bankhall appoints Aviva ops director as CEO

Wednesday, 15 January 2020 10:01

Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) has recruited Michele Golunska, Aviva UK’s operations director, as its new chief executive.

She has over 20 years’ experience in financial services and joins the national adviser group from Sesame’s parent company Aviva UK, where she is currently operations director, workplace savings & retirement.

Aviva bought Sesame in 2015.

Prior to her operations director role she was UK life digital transformation director.

Her appointment follows a raft of management changes last November which saw group managing director Martin Shultheiss exit the business after only a year in the role. It was the second major senior management reshuffle for Sesame Bankhall in less than a year.

Other roles include retirement services director at Friends Life, executive director at JLT Employee Benefits, operations director at Paternoster and customer delivery director at Prudential.

In her new role, which is subject to regulatory approval, she will also become a member of the SBG board, reporting to industry veteran and executive chairman John Cowan. He will will continue to lead the board as group chairman.

Ms Golunska said: “I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to lead SBG.

“I’ve been impressed by how alive SBG is to the societal and competitive forces that are shaping our industry, and more importantly, SBG’s determination to be at the forefront of delivering an improved customer experience for the advisers and clients it serves.

“I believe the experience I have gained in a range of senior digital, organisational and transformational roles will be crucial as SBG moves into a new phase of investment and growth. SBG has a bold vision and exciting plans for the future; the key now is to bring this vision to life so that advisers and their clients can reap the benefits.”

Mr Cowan said: “I am very pleased to announce this exciting new appointment and next step in SBG’s evolution with Michele as our new CEO. Michele has excellent industry credentials and a proven track record in building and transforming businesses in a digital world.

“She’s the ideal person to lead the business forward and bring our Group’s future plans to life for advisers and their customers. Michele is joining SBG as we embark on a new period of growth in services and support for our members and clients.”

SBG includes three adviser brands: Sesame Network, PMS Mortgage Club and Bankhall. It claims to have one of the largest networks of appointed reps. It is a signatory to the Women in Finance Charter.