Manchester-based stockbroker and wealth manager WH Ireland, has announced plans for a significant expansion of its Private Wealth Management division, including a new office opening and a number of senior appointments.

The firm said it will open an office in Milton Keynes which will focus on discretionary and advisory activities and will house a team headed by Paul Wilson, formerly of Charles Stanley & Co, who has been appointed investment director.

In addition, the firm announced the appointment of Vincent Ferguson, Martin Guilbert and Turon Miah who have all joined as investment directors, and will shortly be joined by Andrew Little. All four were previously at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management.

WH Ireland provides advice on most types of investments including Retail Investment Products (RIPs) such as investment trusts, unit trusts, structured products and other collective investments, but because it does not provide advice on pensions or life assurance based products its advice is termed ‘restricted’ under the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) rules.

SPGO
WH Ireland made the headlines in the UK structured products market in 2011 when it launched SPGO Structured Products, a consultancy service for wealth managers, family offices, private banks and IFAs, offering access to the structured products market.

The platform was headed by group consultant Ben Murison, who started his financial career at Barclays Capital in structured products sales and Phil Taylor, also a former Barclays structured product banker.

The platform entered muddy waters in the summer of 2012 and was seeking to change its parent company WH Ireland, in a move to cut costs and ensure the viability of the platform in the run-up to the RDR, but stopped adding products and vacated its London premises in October 2012.

Shortly after, Independent financial adviser (IFA) Lowes Financial Management unveiled talks with the founders of the struggling platform to acquire the intellectual property behind the failed business with the aim of integrating it within its SPwrap platform code.

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