John is a chartered accountant having trained with EY. He worked in senior positions in a number of financial services businesses, including the Finance Director of a Japanese-owned private equity firm, prior to becoming Managing Director of Torquil Clark, the national IFA business, in 2003.
He led the business through an organic and acquisition growth strategy resulting in the acquisition of four businesses in eighteen months and the ultimate sale of the business in 2008 to Skipton Building Society. The sale to Skipton resulted in a trebling of shareholder value in the five years he managed the business.
Following the sale to Skipton, John remained with the organisation and guided the continued growth of the business. Following the international financial crisis, Skipton’s strategy changed, and a decision was made to dispose of Torquil Clark. The stake was acquired by the national consolidator, Bellpenny. John stayed with the organisation until the end of 2015 when he left to set up the consulting business which would eventually become Orion Consulting Group.
John’s background in running a diverse IFA group and buying and selling businesses within the sector gives him a unique insight into M&A strategy, integration and developing businesses of value.
Qualifications
FCA Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
Roderic has been in financial services all his working life and has held senior management roles in a number of major financial services intermediaries, life insurance companies and professional firms including Robson Rhodes, now part of Grant Thornton, Merrill Lynch, Bradford & Bingley and THINC. He has extensive management experience across a wide range of business functions.
The focus of his activities is his non-executive director positions alongside corporate activity i.e., acquisitions, integrations and sales, strategy and proposition and pricing, and performance of people, principally within intermediary firms.
He also consults on governance, risk and compliance effectiveness, and the selection and management and the review and selection of outsourced suppliers.
Qualifications
FCII, FPFS, CFP™, Chartered MCSI, CDir FIoD
Chartered Director, Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Wealth Manager, Certified Financial Planner
Over the last ten years his focus has been full time mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that he was always involved in this activity but as part of a main role. During his years in the industry, he has built up a significant level of industry intelligence and a strong network of contacts that allows him to operate effectively in this marketplace.
Given his IFA background Martyn enjoys working with all size of advisory business and in particular the medium size firms. Having had his own advisory firm he knows these business models well, the challenges they face when growing and how best to implement a successful succession plan which would include extracting value from their business further down the line. Coupled with this is the knowledge of what the key aspects acquirers are looking for regarding those firms wishing to exit now and this greatly assists clients achieve the best fit and price.
Martyn has sat on the board of a financial services trade body and today helps facilitate industry think tanks on a range of topics. This assists with understanding the direction of travel of the advisory industry, where the key pressure points are in the market and how this would impact on the valuations and exit strategies of clients. Currently he also acts as an external adviser for a small/medium size IFA assisting them with their strategic plans for growth as well as assisting them in implementing the correct corporate reporting structure required for this size of business.
In all his dealings he has worked to a high ethical business code believing that honesty, transparency, and fairness are key to running a professional business.
Andy’s whole career has been in Wealth Advisory. He has run three very different firms in his career, starting with his own IFA firm, Scott Moncrieff Wealth Management and until recently as Head of Advice at Close Brothers Asset Management (CBAM).
Andy sold Scott Moncrieff Wealth Management, a 10 Adviser firm at the time, to CBAM in 2011 and successfully integrated the firm into a Vertically Integrated Wealth Manager. In 2014 Andy was appointed Head of Advice taking the 100+ Adviser firm through RDR and SMCR till his departure in late 2021.
In his 7 years at the helm of CBAM, Andy grew the firm organically and by acquisition, having purchased 4 IFA firms during his tenure.
Since 2011, he has “lived” the acquisition journey from both sides, selling and buying. He possesses a unique insight into the emotions, considerations, reactions, and ego, which constitute every transaction in Wealth Advisory acquisitions.
His experience ranges from growing small firms to large firms within the regulated environment. He is an Adviser through and through, he passionately believes that professional financial advice is a good thing for society. Throughout his career, Andy has led from the front, nurturing, and developing young advisers, encouraging them to have a great career and life in the process. He operated at CF30 and SMF18 level with CBAM, whilst finding the time to be a judge for the prestigious STEP awards.
His diverse and recent experience can provide deep value to sellers of Wealth Advisory firms. He believes in achieving successful acquisitions, because everyone wins when it goes to plan, most of all clients and the reputation of the industry.