Paul Toon joins Smart as plans for US-based and international M&A activity ramps up

NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESSWIRE / December 1, 2021 / Smart, a leading global retirement technology provider, announced that Paul Toon has joined the company as the Group Director of M&A, a newly created role. Paul will be responsible for overseeing and executing all aspects of acquisition globally.

Paul's role is critical to Smart as its appetite for growth accelerates. Paul joins Smart from Legal & General Investment Management where he led Corporate Development and oversaw a number of acquisitions and divestments during his tenure.

This news comes after the US team recently added six experienced professionals to its bench including a CFO and Head of Business Transformation, a Chief Experience Officer, and Heads of Platform Technology, Compliance, Marketing and Employer Experience.

Since Smart entered the US in October 2020, the company has continued to expand, naming its first US Board of Directors and announcing an investment round of $228M led by Chrysalis Investments.

This positive momentum will continue in Q1 2022 as Smart has plans to announce a key partnership.

Jodan Ledford, Smart US CEO, said:

'This is an exciting time for Smart, as we have had stellar organic growth to date and recently closed on $228M in funding. Paul will help us continue these strides and undoubtedly be a key member of our team as we expand our presence across the US.'

Michelle Darracott, Group Strategy Director at Smart, said:

'Paul's wealth of experience in M&A will see him play an instrumental role in Smart's growth; we're thrilled to have him on board.'

Paul Toon, Group Director of M&A at Smart, said:

'I'm delighted to join such a dynamic organization as Smart, leading the disruption of an industry to improve outcomes across the world. With the global retirement market valued at more than $55 trillion, the opportunities are clear. I am convinced that the trajectory of the firm, combined with its international expansion, will drive a great acquisition pipeline for us as we look to achieve our global growth goals.'

About Smart

Smart is a global savings and investments technology platform provider. Its mission is to transform retirement, savings, and financial well-being around the world.

Smart partners with financial institutions and advisors to deliver retirement savings and income solutions that are digital, customized, and cost-efficient.

Smart, founded in the UK, operates in the USA, Europe, Australia and the Middle East with nearly a million savers with over $2.7 billion in assets. Smart supports its clients with a 650-strong global team of technologists, user experience experts and retirement specialists, and saw 160% growth in assets on its platform in 2020.

Legal & General, J.P. Morgan, the Link Group, Barclays, Natixis Investment Managers and Chrysalis Investments are all investors to date in Smart.

For more information, please visit Smart.co.

Media Contact:

Jacqueline Silva
Caliber Corporate Advisers for Smart
Jacqueline@calibercorporate.com

SOURCE: Smart