Introduction
Signia Search is delighted to share the news of James Dingwall’s appointment as a Board Adviser.
James Dingwall, the founder of Thistle Initiatives Group, has positioned himself as a leading figure in the financial services sector. Thistle is a highly regarded compliance consultancy with extensive expertise across Investments Insurance, Credit, Payments, and Digital Assets.
“This significant addition reinforces our reputation as a business known for deep functional expertise in Wealth Management and Financial Services, and a commitment to going above and beyond to enhance our standing in the market.” Thomas Spencer.
“What stood out for me with Signia Search was how they really get to understand their clients, their needs, and their proposition to search for the right candidate using some very detailed and thorough analysis.
Now, from my point of view, having that type of approach will add extremely positive value because you’re going to end up more often than not with an exceptional candidate that really fits your needs and requirements.
It’s a very different approach to traditional consultancy in recruitment that I’ve seen over and over again not add the right value, and that’s where I think Signia Search is a market leader in this sector. “
James Dingwall
We held a Q&A with James to discover how his wealth of experience and deep understanding of the financial services sector are poised to elevate Signia’s service offering and bring exceptional value to our client partners.
Question 1: Who is James Dingwall?
Transcribed Answer:
“I’m James Dingwall, predominantly known as the founder of the Thistle Group, which consists of regulatory consultancy, technology and insurance. I am also an entrepreneur and investor in several startup businesses that have done extremely well and really enjoy working with businesses, with exceptional businesses, that want to grow and provide an outstanding service to their clients.”
Question 2: What’s Your Experience in Wealth Management?
Transcribed Answer:
“So in wealth management, predominantly the work that we do is technical advice, support, resourcing and mergers and acquisitions work.
I myself have led hundreds of projects in M&A, supervision and enforcement throughout the wealth management sector and continue to see it grow and expand into a really excellent proposition servicing
clients in the financial services sector.” – James Dingwal
Question 3: How Did This Partnership Come About?
Transcribed Answer:
We’ve worked with Signia Search and so have a number of our clients and personally we have just been really pleased with the professional services and the standards that Signia Search approaches to resourcing.
I’ve been personally so happy with the delivery that we’ve had and also to the clients that I’ve referred. Through various discussions with the board, it became apparent that there was a willingness to expand their business, to continue to lift the standards of the industry and to continue to provide that fantastic executive search service.
It was clear there is a desire to broaden into other areas of financial services particularly Risk, Governance and Compliance. “I felt there was something that I could enhance within Signia Search in terms of their proposition in going out to other markets; certainly risk, governance and compliance because that’s the market that I deeply understand as an individual.”
And as everyone will know, resourcing is such a key element to get right within a business. The link with Signia Search has just proved to be exceptional and you can only go on the basis of the delivery that you’ve serviced yourself and also the clients that you’ve introduced and that’s been an exceptional standard.
So when the opportunity came to join Signia Search as a Board Advisor I jumped at the chance and thought it would be a great opportunity.” – James Dingwall
Question 4: Why Are We Doing It?
Transcribed Answer:
“The immediate impression I got from Signia Search was that they operate in a market that is sometimes not that well respected. But Signia Search stood out to me in terms of their professional standards, their service and their offering and how they really get to understand their clients and the needs and requirements of the role that the client is trying to fill.
This has been an experience that we’ve had as a company, but also that several of our clients have experienced.
So why are we doing it?
because I feel as though our clients, and the clients that I work with, can routinely benefit from service that Signia Search provide based on the amount of difficult conversations I’ve had with clients who haven’t got [talent] resourcing right.
The professional standards that Signia Search brings to the market is something that I’d be keen to get involved with and I know from experience that our clients have been extremely impressed as well.” – James Dingwall
Question 5: What Does This Appointment Look Like?
Transcribed Answer:
So the objective of Signia Search is to continue to grow and expand as a business. And this has always been about client service, proposition and professionalism. They are three elements that are key within Signia Search. I have vast experience in risk governance and compliance, and that’s an area that Signia Search wanted to expand their proposition into.
I also have experience across the board in payments, insurance, credit and obviously advice in wealth management.
When we’re moving into those different sectors, they all have different sets of rules, guidance, regulations and different needs of key resource.
I felt I could help strategically in making sure that we can understand the client’s needs and requirements when delivering the proposition that they’ve asked for.
What does a board advisor do on a day-to-day basis?
It’s helping with the strategic plan of the business, it’s helping move into new markets, it’s challenging the board and it’s getting the best out of people as we grow and expand into other areas within financial services including risk, governance and compliance.” (remove those words from video). – James Dingwall
Video Snippet: Details About James Dingwall’s Appointment
Transcribed Answer:
So the objective of Signia Search is to continue to grow and expand as a business. And this has always been about client service, proposition and professionalism. They are three elements that are key within Signia Search. I have vast experience in risk governance and compliance, and that’s an area that Signia Search wanted to expand their proposition into.
I also have experience across the board in payments, insurance, credit and obviously advice in wealth management.
When we’re moving into those different sectors, they all have different sets of rules, guidance, regulations and different needs of key resource.
I felt I could help strategically in making sure that we can understand the client’s needs and requirements when delivering the proposition that they’ve asked for.
What does a board advisor do on a day-to-day basis?
It’s helping with the strategic plan of the business, it’s helping move into new markets, it’s challenging the board and it’s getting the best out of people as we grow and expand into other areas within financial services including risk, governance and compliance.” (remove those words from video). – James Dingwall
Question 6: What Value Will You Add?
Transcribed Answer:
“So what value would I add to Signia Search?
Well, I think it’s well known that I have a really good understanding of financial services across the board, whether it be investment advice, investment management, funds, payments, insurance and credit.
I’ve employed hundreds of people, I run several businesses and I also understand that talent, as in the key individuals that run and operate your business, is really fundamental to get right.
I’ll have an active involvement in engagements with Signia Search. Understanding, along with the team, what the client wants, what they’re looking for and what their objectives are as part of the retained executive search.
We’ll look to work collectively as a team to ensure that the mandate that the client sets we can achieve to the best possible outcome.
And we’ll continue to raise standards of the recruitment sector through professionalism and through really enhancing value to client engagements to ensure that when we do engage with those clients, that we continue to get engaged with them over and over again as they grow and expand their business.
The reason that I’m joining the Board of Advisers at Signia Search is because I think enhancing professional standards but also the proposition that’s an offer through Signia Search is exceptional and can add a lot of value to our clients – James Dingwall
Question 7: What Value Do You Think You Can Bring to Risk, Governance and Compliance?
Transcribed Answer:
“Having operated as a regulatory consultancy for 10 years plus within Thistle, but also working at two of the Big Four, having the right governance, risk and compliance person in place is such a key element to having a successful business.
We’ve [Thistle] worked with lots of different types of firms, from really entrepreneurial firms that want to push the boundaries, strategic advice and wealth management businesses, to very established insurance companies, and they all have different needs, requirements, and a different proposition.
What stood out for me with Signia Search was how they really get to understand their clients, their needs, and their proposition to search for the right candidate using some very detailed and thorough analysis.
Now, from my point of view, having that type of approach and having worked with some of the clients that we have will add extremely positive value because you’re going to end up more often than not with an exceptional candidate that really fits your needs and requirements.
It’s a very different approach to traditional consultancy in recruitment that I’ve seen over and over again not add the right value, and that’s where I think Signia Search is a market leader in this sector.
