WealthKernel adds ex-Embark and Nucleus execs to senior team

Leanne Penny and Lee Barefoot join the company to improve the pensions and financial crime sectors.

Digital investment services and infrastructure provider WealthKernel has appointed two new senior hires to bolster its pensions and financial crime divisions.

Lee Barefoot joins as the company’s new head of pensions and Leanne Penny is joining as head of financial crime.

Penny joins the company to strengthen its financial crime framework after managing high-risk and specialist environments at Nucleus.

She will focus on embedding “robust levels” of assurance, reporting, transaction monitoring and ensuring WealthKernel meets its regulatory obligations.

“Joining WealthKernel during a key period of its growth is truly exciting, but as the company grows, new risks will emerge that require prevention and intervention,” Penny said.

“There are also unique challenges posed by the current social, economic and political uncertainty and unrest across the globe. 

“It’s crucial that we are ready to detect and respond to any sanctions and regulations that may impact the company, to ensure WealthKernel’s future growth trajectory.”

Barefoot joins WealthKernel from digital retirement solutions platform Embark, where he was head of operations for two years.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in financial services to the role, and previously oversaw the management of Embark’s pension products.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team to understand how we can give better access to pensions products, as well as drive increased education in the sector,” Barefoot said.

“Bolstering WealthKernel’s SIPP functionality will play a key role in this, and I’m excited to see how it will revolutionise the pensions space.”

WealthKernel is a portfolio company of ETFS Capital, the owner of AltFi and ETF Stream.