Simon Black Appointed as Chief Commercial Officer of Rimbal to support next phase of growth

• Simon Black, formerly of IBM and Creovai by Capacity, joins Rimbal as Chief Commercial Officer to support its business growth
• Simon brings 25 years’ experience in building and scaling technology-led businesses
• The appointment follows the hire of Brian Wagner as Chief Technology Officer

9^th September 2026: Rimbal, the UK’s fastest-growing platform for supporting independent financial advice firms, has appointed Simon Black its Chief Commercial Officer. The appointment reflects the strong growth of Rimbal in recent years, and its significant opportunity ahead as it continues to build and operate the intelligent infrastructure that powers independent financial advice firms.

Simon joins Rimbal with over 25 years’ experience in building and scaling technology-led businesses. He started his career at major software firms including IBM, HP and Autonomy, before joining enterprise automation platform Bizagi and leading its international expansion. Simon later co-founded the AI firm Awaken Intelligence, scaling it to a multimillion-pound business before it merged with a US counterpart to form Creovai which was later acquired by AI platform Capacity. Simon brings deep experience of leveraging technology, AI, and operational insight to drive growth and market expansion.

The Rimbal platform, through its service propositions that include the award-winning IFA network ValidPath, currently supports over 300 independent financial advice firms across the UK. As Chief Commercial Officer, Simon will be responsible for platform growth and commercialisation, and the launch of new service propositions that support financial advisers as they adopt practical, responsible AI applications.

Simon will also support the development and delivery of value-added client services for firms and clients across its platform, and lead the expansion of the Rimbal platform to new markets in the sector including Fintechs and other operators seeking to enter the financial advice market.

The appointment of Simon Black as Chief Commercial Officer follows the appointment of Brian Wagner as Chief Technology Officer and other strategic hires by Rimbal as it continues to grow rapidly and build the future of financial advice.

Angus MacNee, CEO of Rimbal, comments: “AI is transforming how independent financial advice will be delivered, and we are building the operating system and intelligent infrastructure to enable independent financial advice firms to deliver better client outcomes — compliantly, efficiently and at scale — now and into the future.

I have known Simon for some time, and his background in AI, technology and business growth and transformation is a very exciting combination as we look to build a future where personalised, independent financial advice is universally accessible through human-led and responsible AI. In financial advice, that is a powerful combination: better margins for firms, better outcomes for more clients and a bigger addressable market for delivering both. The appointment of Simon as Chief Commercial Officer is another step forward in our journey to deliver more value for firms, clients and the broader industry.”

Simon Black, Chief Commercial Officer at Rimbal, says: “These are exciting times for Rimbal and the financial advice sector. We believe AI will transform how financial advice is delivered and the ability to make it more accessible and personalised at scale. Humans will remain at the centre of the process, independence will remain critical, and AI will power the infrastructure that makes it all possible. I’m really excited by what we are building at Rimbal and the opportunity to make a positive impact for independent firms and their clients.”

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About Rimbal

Rimbal is a national platform for independent financial advice firms. Through its branded service propositions, independent firms run on its infrastructure and leverage its technology and resources to enhance their local operations, grow and deliver better client outcomes. The Rimbal platform, through its service propositions that include the award-winning IFA network ValidPath, currently supports over 300 independent financial advice firms across the UK.