Expanding wealth manager and Financial Planner firm Kingswood has announced a new managing director as part of a series of senior management appointments.

Rupert Thompson has been promoted to managing director and chief investment officer while Leigh Philpot takes the role of head of wealth and David Winckler becomes associate director.

Paul Surguy joins the company in January from Kleinwort Hambros to lead the investment management business. Prior to Kleinwort he worked at Sanlam as head of fund research.

Further senior appointments to the management team will be made in the new year, says the company.

Mr Philpot joined Kingswood in September and now takes on the role of head of wealth responsible for the firm's wealth planning and investment management businesses.

The company, which employs a growing number of Certified and Chartered Financial Planners, says he will focus on proposition development and be responsible for wealth planners, investment managers, client support and Paraplanning. 

Kingswood has expanded through global consolidation having seen its largest shareholder, KPI (Nominees) Limited, inject new capital to bring its total investment to £15m. In September it acquired Sheffield-based IFA business WFI Financial LLP for ￡14m.

Gary Wilder, group chief executive, said: "This has been a year of positive and highly effective transformation. We are incredibly excited for what 2020 will bring.

“We believe that Kingswood presents investors with a rare opportunity to achieve outsized returns thanks to an institutional grade financial services management team that is positioned to tap into underlying sector tailwinds in the retail wealth management market.”