Another new entrant has burst onto the UK structured products scene in the shape of Structured Investment Group – a firm focused on delivering what it calls “forward-thinking structured investments''” for independent wealth managers and financial advisors.

SIG, which is based in southwest London, bills itself as an entirely independent structured investment provider, with no link to any issuer. Its other stated USP is an investment committee of seasoned industry professionals who are focused on both investment and credit risk analysis.

SIG’s investment committee comprises co-founder and chief executive Adrian van den Bok, who is an experienced hedge fund and proprietary trader and credit strategist; co-founder/director Kai Tang, an experienced IFA specialising in wealth management and employee benefits; non-executive director Phoebus Theologites, a veteran derivatives trader, and non-executive director Nitin Anandkar, who is currently a portfolio manager for a multi-asset hedge fund.

The firm is also taking a “skin in the game” approach to align company and investor interests: SIG’s directors are committed to co-investing in every launch.

“We believe firmly that now is an optimum time to enter the UK structured investment market, following the FSA’s most recent inroads resolving regulatory issues, and with markets remaining volatile and challenging intermediaries are increasingly looking outside of traditional investments for options that offer alternative strategies and solutions for investors, in particular as a means to balance and diversify investment portfolios,” van den Bok said in a statement.

“Industry data reflects the growing interest in and use of structured investments among independent advisors, with ongoing education initiatives leading to increasing working knowledge and confidence amongst advisors using structured investments within client portfolios. We expect independent advisory use of structured investments to continue to grow significantly over the next few years, in particular under RDR.”