Toby Strauss

Toby Strauss became Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Brewin Dolphin Holdings plc in February 2021, succeeding Simon Miller at the UK wealth management firm. Brewin Dolphin is one of the largest British wealth management firms with over 30 offices throughout the UK, Jersey and Ireland, providing investment management and financial planning services to individuals, companies, intermediaries and charities.

Strauss was born in London in 1959 and educated at St Paul's School and Loughborough University. He began his career in technology, working for IBM, before transitioning to financial services. He has hopped between technology and financial services throughout his career, bringing diverse expertise to leadership roles.

Career History

• Associate Partner at McKinsey (1993-1999)
• Managing Director at Charcol (1999-2002)
• Chief Executive of Towry Law (2003-2005)
• Founder and Chairman of OrderWork (2005-2008)
• CEO of Aviva's UK life and pension businesses
• Group Director for Insurance at Lloyds Banking Group, with responsibility for Scottish Widows
• Non-Executive Director of Legal & General Group PLC
• Chairman of Pacific Life Re Ltd.

What Strauss could bring to Brewin Dolphin: Drawing on his extensive background spanning technology consulting, insurance operations at Lloyds and Aviva, and pensions strategy, Strauss brings deep expertise in digital transformation and regulatory navigation to a historic wealth management firm facing industry consolidation. His previous roles have provided him with "a wealth of commercial and financial services experience," particularly valuable as the firm navigates post-acquisition integration following Royal Bank of Canada's 2022 acquisition. His experience revitalizing legacy products at Aviva and modernizing operations across large financial services groups positions him to drive strategic value creation and shareholder alignment.