With growing regulatory pressures and increasing digital expectations from clients, financial planning firms must balance speed with security in every interaction.
For Crowe Financial Planning UK Limited, maintaining that balance meant rethinking the way they communicated sensitive information.
This case study explores how Crowe Financial Planning implemented Mailock to streamline workflows, enhance the client experience, and meet their compliance obligations - all without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Crowe Financial Planning UK Limited is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is part of Crowe UK, a leading audit, tax, advisory, and consulting firm that supports individuals and businesses in the UK and beyond.
Within the firm, Crowe Financial Planning provides wealth and financial planning services to high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and families seeking long-term security.
Before Mailock, Crowe Financial Planning used a mix of AlphaTrust for secure messaging and e-signatures, password-protected PDFs, and a client portal system.
While these tools were functional, they created fragmented processes, multiple logins, and administrative inefficiencies.
The team needed a simpler way to integrate secure messaging into Outlook workflows, reduce paper-based and manual communication, improve collaboration with providers and clients, and comply with FCA, UK GDPR, and Consumer Duty rules.
Crowe Financial Planning chose Mailock for its robust encryption, user-friendly interface, and seamless Outlook integration.
The implementation was quick and efficient, supported by Crowe’s internal IT team and Beyond Encryption’s responsive rollout support.
Mailock allowed the team to send secure emails directly from Outlook, removing the need to switch platforms or learn new systems.
"Because Mailock integrates directly with Outlook, the team adapted quickly. There was no need for a change in workflow, which really helped us hit the ground running."
Danielle McLeod, Operations Lead, Crowe Financial Planning
Minimal training was needed - a short internal video and a live demo from Beyond Encryption provided everything the team needed to get started.
With Mailock now embedded in their daily operations, Crowe Financial Planning has seen significant improvements in efficiency, compliance, and client trust.
Sending secure emails has become a quick and easy process, completed in just a few clicks.
Authentication and revocation features have helped reduce the risk of human error, while clients consistently report that the experience feels both professional and intuitive.
Mailock provides end-to-end encryption, powered by AES-256 and supported by multi-factor authentication.
The built-in message tracker gives full visibility into when emails are opened and by whom, while the revoke feature adds an additional layer of protection in case something goes wrong.
The team has reported that Mailock is easy to use and inspires confidence when sending sensitive information.
Clients, too, have found the experience reassuring, often commenting on how seamless and secure it feels.
"I was really impressed with how the Mailock system worked - it was effortless and efficient."
Client of Crowe Financial Planning
The rollout was handled smoothly by Crowe Financial Planning’s internal team with support from Beyond Encryption.
Account manager Carole Howard, in particular, was recognised for her responsive, hands-on approach, ensuring queries were resolved promptly.
Having established Mailock as a trusted daily tool, Crowe Financial Planning is now looking to extend its value across their wider tech stack.
Key opportunities include integrating with Intelligent Office (iO) to align secure messaging with client records, adopting built-in e-signature features to replace third-party solutions, and enhancing reporting capabilities beyond webhook-based dashboards.
Sam Kendall, 9 July 2025