As demand for wealth planning increases and as wealth managers expand their regional presence, UK-based LGT Wealth Management expands its Scottish team with senior hire.

LGT Wealth Management has appointed advisor Kirsty Thomson (pictured) as a wealth planner in its Edinburgh office to bolster the company’s regional growth and overall wealth planning offering. 

In her new role, Thomson will work with clients to develop and deliver financial strategies that reflect their long-term goals, helping them navigate a complex planning landscape with more clarity, the firm said in a statement.

Thomson, who began her career as a solicitor in 2009, brings over 15 years of experience supporting high net worth individuals. Her expertise covers retirement and pension planning, inheritance tax, and wealth structuring. Most recently, she was divisional director at RBC Brewin Dolphin’s Edinburgh office, and before that she worked at PwC and Turcan Connell.

“Kirsty’s background in legal and financial services enables her to deliver highly tailored advice, particularly important at a time when many clients are looking to pass on wealth to the next generation,” John Godfrey, head of Scotland at LGT Wealth Management, said. “We are working with more and more entrepreneurs, families and family businesses, many of whom have been impacted by recent budget announcements. Her arrival bolsters our team at a time when clients need specialist, more personal advice.” 

The appointment comes at an opportune time for clients across Scotland and the wider UK as policy changes affecting pensions, inheritance tax and business property relief are prompting many families and business owners to reassess how they pass on wealth.

The hire also highlights the trend of UK and international wealth management firms building and developing their regional footprints. UK wealth manager Cazenove Capital, part of the Schroders Group, for instance, recently made hires in Birmingham, Bristol and Edinburgh. UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager, has a strong presence across the North of England and Scotland. Investment manager Baillie Gifford, known for the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, is also headquartered in Edinburgh. See more here, here and here.

This new placement is the latest in LGT Wealth Management’s investment in Scotland. The firm expanded into new offices in Edinburgh’s Capital Square in May 2024 and now has over 50 specialists advising clients throughout Scotland. LGT Wealth Management continues to build both its client-facing and operational teams, tapping into Scotland’s pool of financial services talent as demand for bespoke planning rises.

LGT Wealth Management UK, which employs over 650 staff, provides a range of investment management, wealth planning and private investment office services. It has offices in London, Jersey, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. In March the firm appointed Chris Golding as investment manager in its Jersey Office. In January, it announced 11 new partners.

The UK-based business is part of the LGT Group, an international private banking and asset management group that has been controlled by the Liechtenstein Princely Family for over 90 years. As at 30 June 2024, LGT Group managed assets of SFr356 billion ($442 billion) for private individuals and institutional clients. LGT employs over 5,000 people who work from more than 30 locations in Europe, Asia, the Americas, Australia and the Middle East.