Signia Wealth, the UK investment firm that confirmed earlier this week that its high-profile female chief executive – and founder – had resigned, is not planning structural changes to its ownership, this publication has been told.

Signia Wealth, the UK investment firm that confirmed earlier this week that its high-profile female chief executive – and founder – had resigned, is not planning structural changes to its ownership, this publication has been told.

So far, the firm has given no details as to why Nathalie Dauriac-Stoebe left or what her future plans are. It is now searching for a successor.

WealthBriefing asked what will happen in terms of ownership and control if the founder of a firm (which was established in 2010) has left. A spokesperson said there were no plans to change Signia’s structure.

A figure in the UK family office industry told this publication that an issue is likely to have been how Dauriac-Stoebe was essentially the sole owner of the firm, so a more sustainable structure going forward should be a partnership.

As mentioned in the previous report, the firm saw a number of departures of senior staff, with one of his most senior recruits – Rupert Robinson, formerly of Schroders’ private bank – leaving after only a year.  

The departure of one of Dauriac-Stoebe, one of the more high-profile women in the UK wealth management scene, comes at a time when there has been some merger and acquisition activity among firms catering to the ultra-wealthy, as well as the launch of some new firms. In early November 2014, Stonehage and Fleming Family & Partners joined fortunes, a move that followed the coming together of SandAire and Lord North Street. The end of last year also saw another such organisation take root in the form of Lincoln Private Investment Office, founded by a group of former Barclays managers. Other relatively recently new players include Plurimi, which has been founded by former bankers at Credit Suisse. 

It is possible that Dauriac-Stoebe’s exit may put the firm in the sights of businesses looking to make acquisitions – Signia Wealth oversees more than £2 billion ($3 billion) of client money. Financial backers of the firm include John Caudwell, founder of the now-defunct Phones 4U business (he hasn’t been involved with it for about 10 years); Jon Moulton, the well-known investor, Mike Balfour, founder of the Fitness First health business, and Sir Keith Mills, the founder of the Air Miles and Nectar customer loyalty schemes.