Rapidly-growing Financial Planner and wealth manager Perspective has acquired Financial Planning firm St Lawrence in Kent, its eighth deal of 2021.

Perspective has also made two more senior hires as it continues to seek expansion.

Perspective Financial Group completed the acquisition of St Lawrence Investment & Pension Solutions Ltd (St Lawrence) in Canterbury this week.
 
The acquisition adds 175 households as clients and around £55m in AUM.
 
Perspective completed its seventh acquisition of the year in August when it acquired Chippenham-based Avon Financial Advisers.
 

St Lawrence was founded by David Earl in 2002 and adds a new location for Perspective in a region where it already has established offices in Eastbourne, Maidstone and London.
 
Mr Earl said “Whilst I have taken steps over the years to put in place systems and controls to support the business, being part of a larger organisation will provide our clients with a more robust financial advice service going forwards and ensure continuity across many aspects of the firm in the future.
 
“I considered several options and concluded that the best way forward was a merger with a larger firm that shares our values, levels of professionalism and client service ethic. I was keen to retain some practical elements that will help with ‘business as usual’ for our clients, including retaining our Canterbury office and avoiding disruption to our clients’ plans and portfolios.
 
“I am pleased to be remaining as a financial adviser and will continue to lead the Canterbury office, so clients will notice relatively few changes other than our new name and branding. We will be known as Perspective (South East) Ltd. I am also delighted that the rest of the team here will also be joining Perspective.”
 
Perspective has also appointed two more senior staff. Paul Everett joins in the newly-created role of operations manager while Andrew Luczynski joins as a training and competence manager.
 
Mr Everett has over 30 years’ experience in financial services, most recently with IFA firm Manse Capital in Yorkshire where he was managing director for four years. He will support the group’s strategies and improve efficiencies for its 20,000 clients.
 
Mr Luczynski also has over 30 years’ experience in financial services spent with national firms including Co-operative Financial Society and Chase de Vere.
 
Ian Wilkinson, chief executive of Perspective, said: “This acquisition is further evidence of our position of being the ‘acquirer of choice’ for many high quality IFAs across the UK to add new locations to our growing network. St Lawrence fits our profile well with many of their client relationships averaging 25 years’ duration and spanning multiple generations.
 
“Our two further senior hires in Paul and Andrew, both of whom have extensive sector expertise, continues our strategy of strengthening and broadening our management team to support our acquisitive and organic growth goals in 2022 and beyond, whilst ensuring our clients remain at the heart of everything we do.”