Lewis (pictured) is a chartered accountant and brings over 15 years of experience working in the financial services sector with a broad range of relevant leadership and financial services experience gained from her both her time in practice at Deloitte, and in industry as head of financial reporting at Manx Telecom.

Before her move to IFGL,  she enjoyed 10 years (over two spells) with Deloitte Isle of Man. Her early career saw her manage an audit portfolio of regulated entities including those in the life insurance sector.

Latterly, she was the lead advisory and assurance director for Deloitte Isle of Man, responsible for growing the advisory and assurance side of the business, with a focus on regulatory and controls assurance and financial crime advisory projects. Her clients have included public sector, highly regulated financial services entities and large and listed entities with complex control environments.

IFGL’s group chief risk officer Sue-Ann Ind said: “I’m so pleased to welcome Charlotte to our leadership team. Charlotte’s experience and expertise are key assets for our business because she brings a global perspective and an appreciation of strategic opportunities and challenges.

“She will be responsible for setting a clear strategy for IFGL in terms of compliance and conduct, bringing fresh perspectives to protecting our business, delivering excellent customer outcomes and continuing to embrace regulatory change.”

“The opportunity to join a growing and ambitious organisation based in the Isle of Man was very attractive to me,” said Lewis. “There is already a well-embedded compliance culture within the business, and I am looking forward to using both my strategic and technical skills to support the business growth whilst further strengthening the control environment we have in place to comply with an ever-evolving regulatory landscape.

“I have a huge amount to learn but I have a very strong team around me and I am excited about the challenge. I am committed to showing that, with the right support, women can excel in leadership roles whilst embracing the responsibilities and joys of parenthood”.

Lewis grew up in Derbyshire and moved to the Island in 2012, with her now husband, Jamie. She has two young sons aged 6 and 3. Outside of work, she enjoys playing the piano and spending time outdoors, whether she’s running or exploring the Island’s beautiful landscapes with her family.

“I’m also very passionate about sustainability,” she said. “The Isle of Man is a beautiful place to live, with our biosphere status, and it’s important we protect what makes the Island so special.”

Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 on digital operational resilience in the financial sector (DORA) applies to most regulated entities in the European financial sector, such as credit institutions and insurers, but also certain third-party ICT service providers.

Critical ICT third-party service providers designated as such by the European supervisory authorities (ESAs) come directly within the scope of DORA. They provide critical or important functions to the financial services sector and must also fulfill many of their own obligations in addition to those stipulated in their regulated clients’ contracts.

DORA also impacts many ICT service providers that are not within this ‘critical’ cohort through the obligations of financial companies to manage third-party risk.

The framework laid down by DORA is intended to strengthen digital operational resilience of the European financial sector as a whole. Amongst other things, it obliges in-scope entities to implement an enhanced resilience framework impacting various levels of their organisation, including cybersecurity risk management, incident management, stress tests and the management of ICT third party suppliers.

DORA is bolstered by regulatory technical standards (RTSs), implementing technical standards (ITSs) and guidelines formulated by the ESAs: EBA, EIOPA and ESMA. Some of these have already been adopted, such as the ITS on the creation of a standard template for the mandated information register, whereas others are yet to be approved.

The reporting obligations required by DORA by means of an information register are also noteworthy. Financial businesses are required to record all contractual agreements with third-party ICT service providers in a register and make details available to their competent authority on request.

“Given that DORA is now upon us, it presents affected businesses with potentially major challenges,” said Florian Elsinghorst, an expert for regulated industries at Pinsent Masons. “In particular, in-scope entities need to put a lot of effort into managing ICT third party risk: the vast majority of IT services are covered by DORA. Financial organisations must adapt their existing contracts with third-party ICT service providers to be DORA-compliant, which may entail a substantial amount of contract management and negotiation work.”

Andreas Carney, a technology and financial services sourcing expert at Pinsent Masons, said: “Now is a good time to take stock of what has been achieved in terms of implementation and assess what more needs to be done to achieve compliance said. The application of DORA from today will no doubt draw it into sharper focus for regulators – they will be interested in the level of compliance that has been achieved.”

Carney highlighted that third party risk management is naturally a key aspect of the DORA framework. DORA’s requirements in this regard apply to outsourcing arrangements but also other ICT services arrangements.

“While entities may have implemented previous regulatory requirements specific to outsourcing or cloud, DORA adds another layer of requirements – as well as the need to look at their entire ICT services environment,” he said. “DORA includes detailed requirements for subcontracting and these should be considered not only by the regulated entities themselves, but also third-party suppliers to those entities in how they contract and manage their own supply chain. Other aspects of DORA will also have a ‘flow down’ effect on IT service providers.”

“Our consulting experience shows that DORA can also mean a major implementation effort for IT service providers,” Daniel Widmann, also of Pinsent Masons, said. “They are asked by their clients from the financial sector to adapt existing contracts, the implementation of which may cause difficulties in practice. This is also due to the fact that IT services are often categorised differently by financial companies in terms of criticality. IT service providers are faced with the challenge of having to adapt an often standardised service for customers in the financial sector. It is therefore all the more important for IT service providers to understand which obligations are mandatory under DORA and where there is room for negotiation.”

“We are seeing different approaches being adopted for implementation by both regulated entities and ICT suppliers,” Carney said. “These vary from clients managing implementation in-house, where we support on developing an understanding of DORA’s requirements, how it applies to their business, and identifying the steps needed to comply, right through to relying on us for full end-to-end support where we advise on all of DORA’s requirements, prepare templates and manage negotiation of ICT service contracts.”

In a statement on 16 January, it said the fundraise offers an opportunity for investors to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio of scale-up, high potential businesses with the aim of providing attractive but stable returns.

Since it launched in 2019, the VCT has already demonstrated strong performance by declaring two dividends to date. All Puma Alpha VCT investors, including new investors, who are shareholders on the company’s register on 28 February 2025 are eligible for an upcoming 3p dividend payable in March 20251. This will be the second dividend payment.

The total number of portfolio companies invested into by Puma Alpha VCT has increased significantly over the last two years from 10 companies to 18. The VCT has invested into scale-up businesses including the UK’s leading dedicated alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint, premium menswear brand Ron Dorff and fleet technology specialist CameraMatics. Last year it also made a new investment into Aveni, a provider of market-leading generative AI solutions for the UK financial services industry.

As well as the addition of Aveni, Puma Alpha VCT has also made follow-on investments into Bikmo and Thingtrax over the past 12 months, as well as investing further funds into fintech business Pockit to support its acquisition of Monese.

Puma Alpha VCT invests in high potential companies that have proven themselves in their respective markets, diversifying across sector, business model and end customer group. The experienced Puma Growth Partners investment team take an ultra-active approach, working in partnership with portfolio companies to help them achieve their growth ambitions, by supporting them on all aspects of building their businesses.

Rupert West, fund manager, Puma Alpha VCT, said: “Despite a challenging business environment in 2024, we have successfully deployed new, and follow-on, growth capital into a number of highly promising businesses across a range of sectors. We have a strong investment pipeline for 2025 and expect business and investment conditions to improve. We’re therefore delighted to have reopened the Puma Alpha VCT and to continue offering investors the opportunity to access our diversified portfolio.”

David Kaye, CEO of Puma Investments, said: “As we approach tax year end, VCTs continue to provide a compelling opportunity for investors to access the growth potential of private markets within a fund which also offers investors substantial tax benefits, particularly for those who may have maximised contributions to their ISA and pension.

“We are incredibly proud to see the continued success of the Puma Alpha VCT portfolio. These scale-up companies are the backbone of the UK economy, and the VCT scheme enables them to grow, innovate and create vital employment opportunities.”

In his new role, he will lead business growth and strategy initiatives while strengthening client relationships across the organisation. His appointment aligns with Aditum’s vision to broaden its product offerings and expand its presence across multiple territories.

He will work closely with the investment teams to enhance Aditum’s capabilities and grow its asset management offerings.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the Middle East, he most recently served as head of the Middle East & Global Financial Institutions for APAC & EMEA for Principal Asset Management. Prior to which he was the CEO of Eastspring Investments Limited, where he successfully established and led its MENA operations.

This strategic appointment follows a series of new hires in 2024 aimed at supporting Aditum’s ambitious growth plans in the region. Recently, the firm also welcomed Alan Trott as chief operating and finance officer, who now oversees the finance, middle office, and back-office operations.

David Marshall, SEO of Aditum Investment Management, said: “The addition of Gaurav to Aditum’s senior leadership team comes at a critical juncture in our growth journey. His expertise will be instrumental as we pursue licence expansion for our subsidiary, Aditum Capital in KSA and scale our DIFC presence significantly “

She brings over 20 years of experience across wealth management, platforms, and account management to P1 as the firm continues to serve an increasing number of advice firms.

Angell will lead the development of P1’s client servicing team, ensuring advisers benefit from responsive and personalised service and smooth onboarding as the firm scales. She will also play a critical role in bringing her experience to the operations and regulatory compliance elements of platform delivery.

Her extensive background includes management and leadership roles at Atomos Wealth, Seccl, Abrdn, Winterflood Business Services, and Barclays Wealth, where she honed her expertise in account management and operations.

Having previously worked at Seccl, P1 Platform’s trading and custody partner, Angell has direct experience of P1’s operating model and her established relationships with the team mean she will fit seamlessly into the business.

James Priday, CEO of P1 Investment Services, said: “Assets, revenue and the number of advice firms we support grew by 100% over the past 12-months, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest service standards for our users. We know innovative technology is just one part of the equation when it comes to building a great product, with high service levels being the other.

“Michelle’s appointment reflects this commitment and our focus on investing in people who understand the unique needs of our adviser clients. Michelle’s insight and experience will ensure we remain not just a platform provider and investment manager, but a trusted partner to firms of all sizes.”

Angell added: “It was an obvious fit for me to be part of P1. It’s a hugely exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and forward-thinking team. Their focus on combining technology with outstanding client service is something I am passionate about, and I look forward to helping advisers and their clients achieve their goals.”