New Tilney Smith & Williamson CTO Prakash joins from FTSE 100 utilities group Centrica, where he served as chief consumer digital and information officer, leading global digitisation strategies and improving customer experience.

Prior to this, Prakash held the position of chief digital & information officer at the UK Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), overseeing IT and operations and leading the scaling of digital services for 13 million people.

Additionally, he has held leadership roles at Sage Group and Morgan Stanley Wealth and Asset Management.

The appointment follows the recent merging of Tilney and Smith & Williamson, which was completed on the 1st September 2020.

The biggest senior technology hires in 2020

Click here for a list of the biggest senior technology hires, including chief technology officer (CTO) and chief information officer (CIO) appointments. Read here

New Tilney Smith & Williamson CTO, Prakash, said: “This is a really exciting time to be joining the business. The merger of Tilney and Smith & Williamson is a transformational combination which will create a truly unique business able to support clients with a wide range of services to facilitate the management of their personal wealth and their business interests.

“While the sectors it operates in have overall been slow to adapt to the opportunities that new technology provides, both Tilney and Smith & Williamson have made major investments in new systems in recent years.

“I have been really impressed with the determination of the new Group to embrace best-in-class technology and be at the forefront of digital innovation to the benefit of clients.”

Chris Woodhouse, group chief executive at Tilney Smith & Williamson, commented: “As we have been working towards completing the merger, we have recognised the importance of investing in additional talent to strengthen the leadership team and help us achieve our ambitious plans for the business.

“Mayank will bring a huge amount of experience to the senior team, and we are delighted to welcome such a high-calibre technology and operations leader to the business.

“Both Tilney and Smith & Williamson have invested heavily in new systems in recent years, enabling us to improve client experience and operational resilience.

“Mayank will have a key role to play ensuring a successful integration of the two businesses and driving new digital development and innovation to continually improve the services we provide to clients.”