SmartSearch expands Executive Leadership Team to accelerate growth and drive innovation in its fight against financial crime

SmartSearch, the UK’s leading provider of digital compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions, announces the expansion of its Executive Leadership Team to support its next phase of accelerated growth.

Following significant investment from Triple Private Equity earlier this year and the appointment of industry leader Phil Cotter as CEO, SmartSearch is poised to rapidly advance growth and innovation. The expansion of the leadership team underscores this ambition, demonstrating a commitment to delivering excellent customer service while creating innovative new products and services.

The new appointments are as follows

• Stuart Morris joins as Chief Technology Officer. With over two decades of experience in delivering large-scale transformation and software development programs at EY, Barclays, and LSEG, Stuart will lead SmartSearch’s technology team to support the next phase of customer-focused innovation.

• Paul Eddie joins as Chief Revenue Officer. Paul brings extensive experience in software, analytics, and digital transformation from his roles at Thomson Reuters, Oracle, Experian, and D&B. Paul will lead SmartSearch’s sales organisation.

SmartSearch has also created new roles for two of its executive team members to further strengthen its leadership

• Fraser Mitchell becomes Chief Product Officer, transitioning from his role as Technical Director to focus on the business’s strategic product direction and market-leading innovation.

• Collette Allen transitions to Chief Transformation Officer from her position as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, she will be responsible for ensuring that the businesses transformation agenda is delivered in support of its long-term strategy, with a focus on operational & service excellence.

The expanded Executive Leadership Team will focus on assisting businesses in all regulated sectors in the fight against global money laundering and fraud. Using their combined experiences, SmartSearch is well placed to deliver new and innovative tools to assist customers in the fight against fraud while staying compliant, as both financial crime and regulation continue to evolve in complexity.

Stuart Morris, Chief Technology Officer at SmartSearch, said: “Keeping pace with the advanced technology used by today’s financial criminals is a pressing challenge for organisations in regulated industries. This is compounded by their obligation to implement the necessary checks to catch fraudsters and ensure regulatory compliance. SmartSearch is dedicated to making this process easier for businesses, and it’s an exciting time to be part of this journey.”

Paul Eddie, Chief Revenue Officer at SmartSearch, added: “Software, analytics, and digital transformation have been key focus areas throughout my career, and I’m delighted to join SmartSearch as a leader in digital compliance. Maximising revenue streams will enable SmartSearch to streamline and enhance its product offerings for customers in regulated sectors, providing them with the right solutions and support to combat the rising tide of financial crime.”

Phil Cotter, CEO at SmartSearch, said: “These strategic appointments mark a pivotal moment for SmartSearch, significantly bolstering its leadership capabilities. The addition of seasoned experts like Stuart Morris and Paul Eddie, together with the change in roles for Fraser Mitchell and Collette Allen, alongside Claire Elcock, Chief Financial Officer, Julie Green, Client Services Director and Rachael Rogers as Interim Chief People Officer creates a leadership team with significant experience of delivering innovative solutions for its’ customers in a fast changing and complex regulatory environment, ensuring it remains at the forefront of the fight against global money laundering and fraud.”

The four new appointments will help ensure SmartSearch maintains its position as the UK’s leading provider of AML and digital compliance solutions and drive the next stage of its strategic development.