Paul Hurley on Regulation, Client Outcomes and the Evolving Role of Compliance in Wealth Management

In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we speak with Paul Hurley, Director of Compliance at Foster Denovo. Paul’s career spans an extraordinary journey: thirteen years in the military, over a decade as a financial adviser and a further two decades shaping the compliance function that underpins the business today. Paul talks candidly about how he unexpectedly moved into compliance, how the landscape has changed from rule-based regulation to today’s outcome-based model, and why vulnerability and consumer protection are now central to every decision advisers make. He also explains why small firms struggle with regulatory change, the realities of acquisitions from a compliance perspective and what the future may hold for the industry, from crypto products to greater scrutiny of ongoing reviews. 🎧 In this episode: • Paul’s journey from military service to financial services • Why he took a pay cut to move into compliance • How regulation evolved from rigid rule books to principle based, outcome driven supervision • Why consumer duty marks the biggest shift in a decade • What vulnerability really means and why it affects far more clients than advisers often think  • How acquisitions challenge smaller firms’ regulatory processes • Why the government is pushing the FCA to focus on growth in the coming years  • Paul’s view on what’s next for regulation, including crypto