Northumberland-based Explore Wealth Management joins Tilney Smith & Williamson’s Newcastle office

Tilney Smith & Williamson, the leading wealth management and professional services group, has strengthened its presence in the North East by adding Explore Wealth Management’s experienced team to its growing Newcastle office.

As part of the move, five staff from Explore Wealth Management –bringing experience covering financial planning, paraplanning and administration - along with the firm’s owner, Stephen Sumner will join Tilney Smith & Williamson’s office at Quayside House, which is headed-up by Managing Partner David Smith.

The Explore Wealth Management team, which is currently based at Cramlington in Northumberland, provides retirement planning, pensions advice and investment management services and specialises in working with current and former business owners, professionals and senior managers who are either approaching, or are already in, retirement.

Tilney Smith & Williamson has provided financial planning services to its clients, which include families, business owners and charities, in Newcastle for 10 years and with the team joining from Explore Wealth Management now has 22 people based in the city. Earlier this year, the firm established a new investment management team, headed up by experienced Investment Manager Matthew Burgess, meaning that clients in the North East are able to have their investment portfolios managed by a locally based team.

Explore Wealth Management joins Tilney Smith & Williamson as part of the group’s succession programme which gives financial advisers approaching retirement the opportunity to provide a new long-term home for their advisers and clients.

David Smith, Managing Partner of Tilney Smith & Williamson’s Newcastle office commented: “I am delighted to welcome the team from Explore Wealth Management to our growing Newcastle office. Stephen and the five experienced staff who are joining Tilney Smith & Williamson have developed a great reputation providing financial planning services to clients in the North East and I am very pleased we are now going to be working together.

“This move demonstrates our commitment to invest in the North East and builds on the addition earlier in the year of a dedicated investment management team for our Newcastle office.”

Richard Dawes, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Tilney Smith & Williamson added: “I am very pleased that the team from Explore Wealth Management is joining the group as part of our succession programme. This announcement strengthens our position in the North East and ensures that clients will continue to receive a high-quality, personalised service from locally-based professionals while also benefitting from the investments we have made in our technology and proposition in recent years.”

Stephen Sumner added: “Tilney Smith & Williamson’s culture, values, professionalism and service standards are very much aligned with our own which made it a very easy decision for us to join. We feel strongly that our team and also our clients’ financial planning needs will continue to be well looked after for many years to come.”