This month we are running a very special VIP Brkfst.

This invitation-only event will take place at Ocean BMW on Friday 7th October 2011 8am – 9.30am, where we will be joined by Simon Chamberlain of Succession Advisory Services

Following some refreshments and informal networking, you will be invited to the board room to hear Simon share his knowledge and expertise on the topic of ‘Creating capital and preparing your Business for sale’.

About the Speaker:
Simon Chamberlain joined the Financial Services Industry directly from university, and in his early career held senior positions in both Merchant Investors and Royal Life.

In 1992, Simon took his team from Royal Life and became a founding partner of J. Rothchild Assurance (now known as St. James’s Place Capital) and became their number one partner in 1993 and 1995. The company was floated on the stock market in 1997 for approximately £365m and is today one of the top 200 companies in the U.K.

After the flotation, Simon became the National Development Director for the Zurich Advice Network, which was an amalgamation of all the financial services companies owned by Zurich in the U.K. These included Eagle Star, Allied Dunbar and Abbey Life. The main role of the Development Director was to move 5,000 individual advisors into a structured business practice model, creating firm business, succession and exit plans for the practices going forward.

In 2003, following legislation changes occurring within financial services – particularly the depolarisation of the whole industry – Simon took the opportunity to launch Thinc. This was a new kind of financial services proposition that incorporated all kinds of financial advisors, whether they were corporate, mortgage or IFA’s. This new approach created a one-stop shop and became known as a multi-distribution platform. Over a four year period, the Thinc Group (now known as BlueFin) grew to approximately 900 advisors over all disciplines, £75m of estimated turnover, £3bn of funds under management, placing £4bn in mortgages and was eventually sold to the French giant AXA in a deal worth £100m in 2006.

In July 2007, Simon left BlueFin to pursue other opportunities. He has now formed his own consultancy business. Simon is currently the acting Non-Exec Chairman of the Tamar Science Park and has a host of other Non-Executive appointments including Defaqto, Goss Interactive and an International PR company called Loco Comms, and ICO3; a Plymouth based E-commerce business.

Simon is also a Board member of the Plymouth Growth Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN), a board member of the Plymouth Growth Board and an adviser to the University of Plymouth Business School.

In November 2008, Simon formed a new Wealth Management consolidation business called Succession Advisory Services, which was funded by an Australian VC called Committed Capital and the Guernsey based Discretionary Fund Manager – Spearpoint. Succession now has 32 Member firms that control over £5b of assets and has a target of 50 Member firms and £7b assets by 2013.  He is also a board member of the Tax Incentive and Savings Association (TISA).

More detail on Simon’s career can be accessed and is well documented on Google by entering “Simon Chamberlain – Succession”.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01822 618 658 or email aimee@tee-dp.com