Fourth Line restructures leadership team to execute new technology roadmap to AI

Fast-growing Regtech, Fourth Line, has undertaken a strategic leadership transition to expedite its goal of fully automating the financial advice assurance process, while simultaneously maintaining the company’s robust sales growth.

Creation of Executive Chairman role

Founding Chief Executive Officer, David Travers, will move to the newly created position of Executive Chairman, with specific responsibility to deliver a leading-edge technology roadmap that promises to automate advice assurance to a level previously thought impossible.

Appointment of new CEO

Meanwhile, current Chief Operating Officer, Joel Ronchi, has been promoted to CEO, and will continue his focus on new client acquisition and service delivery.

Travers said: “Joel is the natural choice to lead the company through this next growth phase. He is passionate about the importance of high-quality, independent financial advice and has dedicated his career to making it more accessible and affordable.

Joel has unrivalled subject matter expertise and exceptional industry relationships”.

Appointment of new Director

In addition to the Travers and Ronchi promotions, financial services executive and Fintech founder, Paul Rogan, has joined the Fourth Line Board as both an investor and Director.

Paul spent 25 years in senior executive roles in MLC/NAB and Challenger Limited, before founding and exiting two successful start-ups, and leading pioneering robo-adviser, SuperEd. He is currently also a director of Hub24 Limited and EQT Superannuation Ltd (Equity Trustees).

Implementation of Advanced Technology Roadmap

As part of the strategic leadership transition, Fourth Line’s Board and Executive Team upgraded the company’s advanced technology roadmap to include the planned acquisition of proprietary software and the integration of large language models like GPT-4.

“Our first-generation robo-assurance software is the core of our peerless ‘bionic’ file review service, which in less than three years has connected with almost 12% of advisers in Australia in what is a highly fragmented advice-assurance market,” David Travers said.

“Fourth Line 2.0, the next evolution of our ‘outsourced compliance brain’, will incorporate the latest advances in generative AI and machine learning technologies, meaning our system will be able to read, understand and evaluate all forms of unstructured data, from fact-finds to file notes.

“It will teach itself to identify, assess and code the subtle variations between and within financial advice files prepared by human advisers. This will not only drastically reduce the workload of compliance officers but will also bulletproof licensees’ advice processes and lift the standard of advice to the benefit of consumers”.

Travers will collaborate closely with Professor Dan Hunter PhD, Fourth Line’s co-CTO and a world-leading, generative AI expert. Professor Hunter is the Executive Dean of the law school at King’s College London, has extensive experience in technology startups, and is a highly published author in the fields of technology and law. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University in Cognitive Science & Legal Reasoning, a Master of Laws in AI & Law from Melbourne University, and degrees in both Computer Science and Law from Monash University.

Executive Chairman David Travers said: “Since inception we’ve focused on business-building basics.

“That is, providing tangible value to clients by delivering our core regulatory IP using existing software technology, with human oversight.

“Now, with a talented team, rapidly growing client base and proven market demand, we have the firm footing needed to support a technological step-change that will revolutionise advice assurance”.

About Fourth Line

Founded in 2019, Fourth Line helps AFS licensees cut the cost and improve the quality of financial advice. The firm’s clients include large dealer groups like Diverger and Sequoia, as well as self-licensed practices such as Pitcher Partners and Strategem.

The Fourth Line risk management tool uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate and expedite any advice file review which would normally be conducted by human auditors, paraplanners or peers. It slashes reviewer workloads while simultaneously improving the consistency and rigour of compliance processes.

With unrivalled algorithmic intelligence, Fourth Line incorporates all legislation, regulations, as well as the outcomes from over 800 AFCA (FOS) reviews, 84 ASIC EUs and all relevant ASIC Regulatory Guides and Review Reports.

Though currently focussed on the financial advice application, future versions of Fourth Line’s RegTech solution will be adaptable to adjacent verticals in Australian and offshore markets.