Acquisition adds funds for wealth manager Clarion

KNUTSFORD financial adviser Clarion has acquired Cheshire-based rival SDJ Private Clients.

Congleton-based SDJ, founded in 2010 by Stephen Jackson, has 50 clients with funds of £22m. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Mr Jackson will stay on with Clarion as investment director, heading up the firm’s discretionary investment management arm.

He said: “This move will enable me to spend more of my time advising clients, building investment portfolios and helping Clarion grow into an even bigger, more successful business.

“Clarion is a well-respected outfit whose holistic approach to financial planning chimes with my own philosophy, so the deal makes sense on a whole variety of levels.”

Clarion’s founder and managing director, Ron Walker, said: “SDJ Private Clients is a great business and Stephen brings with him a wealth of financial planning expertise and a real depth of knowledge in the investment field, and we would like to welcome him and his clients on board.

“As well as being a superb financial advisor Stephen is also a highly skilled investment manager and we expect him to add real value to that side of our operation as we grow our funds under management.”

Clarion has 13 staff and around £100m under management. Before founding SDJ Mr Jackson spent four years as financial services director at CBG Financial Services, the wealth management arm of the insurance brokerage CBG.

Lawyers Hargreaves Mounteney and Birchall Blackburn advised on the deal along with accountancy firm Hurst.