07Jan

City & Capital Group targets significant growth with shake-up of industry norms and key hires

7th January 2021 Ruth Harrison-Davies

Victoria Hicks and Jonathan Barrow - The City & Capital Group

The City & Capital Group is preparing for significant growth in 2021, following the launch of a fixed fee recruitment proposition for financial planning and wealth management firms, a new M&A Partner service for vendors, and two key hires.

The Yorkshire-based financial services consultancy will make the hiring process within the profession more affordable and transparent via a new, fixed fee model.

In a bid to tackle the mounting advice gap within the sector, newly appointed head of recruitment Robert Marchini and recruiter Adam Massie will spearhead the new initiative – while also working closely with organisations to encourage new advisers into the industry.

The group’s mergers and acquisitions division, meanwhile, has reinvested heavily into re-shifting the balance of power to the seller – launching a new proposition, designed to better prepare firms for sale.

This vendor-focused service seeks to instil confidence in sellers and open a much wider portfolio of potential buyers – ensuring introductions are not just financially aligned, but culturally, too.

“In the world of financial advisory mergers and acquisitions, the traditional broker model often doesn’t reflect the interests of the vendors,” explained Victoria Hicks, group director at City & Capital Acquisitions. “There is too much emphasis placed on the number and value of deals completed, which is certainly no reflection on the success of such acquisitions.

“As a chartered financial planner – and having been party to both sides of an acquisition — I’ve experienced first-hand what the process is like. It’s vital that our industry has a real sense of conscience and puts what’s best for those involved above all else.”

The City & Capital Group is steadfast in the belief that vendors are the most important party in the transaction, as Victoria continued: “Our clients are often selling their life’s work – and valued relationships – to someone new. Therefore, it’s vital they are accurately represented, and feel fully supported from start to finish.

“Ordinarily, brokers receive their fees from the acquirers, which means vendors often assume the service they are receiving is free, when in fact a broker fee will frequently be factored into any commercial offer made on the part of the acquirer.”

Explaining why an acquirer paying proposition may not be appropriate for some vendors, Victoria concluded: “This approach means vendors may only be introduced to acquirers who have signed a broker’s terms of business. This, in turn, could lead to suitable parties being overlooked for not agreeing terms.

“Our vendor proposition enables our clients to access any firm with an acquisitive appetite, providing the most extensive range of buyer options in the market – something which is particularly important in the middle-market space, as local vendors often prefer to be acquired by a strong local firm with a similar culture. I know these acquirers also often feel overlooked by the broker market in favour of larger national acquirers. While it may be right for some, this isn’t right for all.

“That’s why we have created an alternative proposition, whereby sellers can elect to pay our fees for assisting them to prepare for sale, managing the full process and successfully selling their businesses. Our fees are fair and provide clear value, and we will never, ever receive a fee from both parties. Ultimately, where we represent our vendors our fees reflect that. There is no ambiguity.”

02Sep

Senior and graduate appointments for The City & Capital Group

2nd September 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

West Yorkshire-based financial consultancy organisation, The City & Capital Group, has made a pair of hires across its acquisitions, recruitment, and headhunting divisions, with the appointment of a group relationship director and a graduate relationship manager.

Paul Greveson has joined the team as group relationship director, bringing with him 35 years of industry experience – most recently as business development director for Regentia Lifestyle Planning and Regency Financial Planning.

Having also previously founded, grown and sold his own recruitment business – Independent Financial Appointments – Paul will work alongside Victoria Hicks, director of City & Capital Acquisitions, in relationship-building between those looking to buy or sell financial advice firms and client banks.

Keen to support those graduating in the wake of the pandemic, the second appointment is University of Leeds’ law degree alumni, Rebekah Waddington. Joining the team as a graduate relationship manager, Rebekah will work across all three Group divisions but with a focus on recruitment, and leading the initial fact-finding programme for candidates, as well as liaising with hiring firms during the interview process.

Stuart Hicks, managing director at The City & Capital Group, said: “It has been a tough start to 2020, but these appointments signify The City & Capital Group’s ambitions for sustained growth as we look towards the future.

“The addition of financial services, business development and recruitment experience will undoubtedly help us to further grow our portfolio in the UK, and we also thought it was important to give something back to the region, by creating a graduate role for Rebekah during this challenging period.”

Victoria Hicks, director of City & Capital Acquisitions added: “The pandemic has left a lot of people starting to think about succession planning – and not just in the financial services sector. But, when it comes to selling – or buying – a business, it’s important to look beyond pounds and pence. It’s about a true understanding to find the right match.

“I have known Paul [Greveson] for several years and seen first-hand how his passion for doing the right thing translates into helping firms grow through talent attraction and acquisition. His expertise means he can discuss wider growth and exit strategies with business owners, having a true understanding of the landscape in which they are operating. His values, combined with proven real-world experience, are what makes him stand out in a crowd where integrity is key.”

The recruitment follows the appointment of two new directors in April of this year, which saw Jonathan Barrow named as the firm’s director of City & Capital Acquisitions, while Mike Aitchison joined as director of City & Capital Headhunters.

16Apr

Two new directors appointed at The City & Capital Group

16th April 2020 Victoria Hicks

West Yorkshire-based financial services growth consultant, The City & Capital Group, has added 35 years of additional mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and talent attraction expertise to its CV, with the appointment of two new Directors.

Jonathan Barrow has been named as the firm’s Director of City & Capital Acquisitions, while Mike Aitchison has come on board as Director of City & Capital Headhunters. The duo joins company owners – and husband-and-wife team – Stuart and Victoria Hicks as senior decision-makers at the Leeds-headquartered Group.

Photo: Mike Aitchison https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelaitchison/

Onboarded prior to the global disruption caused by COVID-19, the pair of appointments are designed to support plans for further growth within the wealth management M&A space, expansion into wider markets and as-yet-untapped financial services sectors.

Stuart Hicks, Group Managing Director, said: “These appointments signify The City & Capital Group’s ambitions for further growth – not only within the markets that we operate in with great success, but to new and upcoming markets across the finance and professional sectors.”

“With the addition of such experience, both in terms of financial services, mergers and acquisitions as well as senior recruitment, the appointment of Mike and Jonny will also assist in the growth of the team, their development and ultimately the business itself.”

Bringing with him circa 15 years of financial services experience – particularly across M&A – Jonathan Barrow will be working alongside chartered financial planner and MD of the Acquisitions division, Victoria Hicks.

Photo: Jonathan Barrow https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbarrow1/

Having worked with a variety of clients – on both the sale and buyer-side – across private equity-backed firms, PLCs, national firms and start-ups, Jonathan has been involved in almost one hundred mergers and acquisitions within the wealth management space to-date and brings with him an extensive National network.

Jonathan’s role will see him focus on the strategic development of the division through the creation of robust systems and processes, designed to provide clients with the ‘most efficient, stress-minimising processes within the FA M&A space’.

Meanwhile, Mike Aitchison joins Group founder Stuart Hicks in pushing forward the headhunting and recruitment arms. Following 20 years’ experience within the financial services sector, the last 13 of those have been spent recruiting for a wide range of specialist lenders, insurers, BPO providers and fintech businesses.

Having worked within global listed human capital companies, top tier boardroom search firms and owned his own firm to boot, Mike’s experience ‘in the shoes of’ the client, candidate and recruiter promises to offer a more holistic insight into the selection process.

Since the firm’s inception in 2017, the financial services specialists have overseen the management and delivery of many major senior recruitment placements within the financial services industry, as well as the sale and acquisition of companies and client banks within the financial advisory sector.

Despite the current climate, they continue to go from strength to strength, offering a range of services to their clients that have proven results, delivering these by drawing upon real-world experiences in a way that continues to make them stand out within this competitive space.

Issued on behalf of The City & Capital Group by Scriba PR. For more information, alternate images or to request an interview, please contact Ruth Harrison-Davies (07719 312 464 / ruth@scribapr.com).

The City & Capital Group is a key consultancy partner for financial and professional service organisations looking to achieve important growth or succession planning for their business. The firm’s knowledgeable team offers decades of experience, derived from their own successful careers within financial and professional services.

06Mar

Guest blog: How to gain control of your brand

6th March 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

What do you think of the word ‘brand’? You might think of the Nike ‘swoosh’, the golden arches of McDonald’s or the red can of Coca Cola. In this context, it can be difficult to know what it means for you: is it your logo, your colours or your website?

The answer is it’s all those things and more. Your brand is whatever identifies your business and communicates what it’s about. That might be your stationery, the way you answer the phone, or the biscuits you serve in client meetings.

In our first guest blog, marketing consultant Faith Liversedge explains why brand identity forms a vital element of a business sale or acquisitions process.

Branding is important for financial advisers – and any business providing an intangible service – because your brand is pretty much all you have. You don’t have anything visible to go on – no packaging, no special offer, no next-day delivery. So, it’s the little things that have the potential to make their mark.

Like your biscuits.

You might laugh but think about the difference between Duchy Originals and Tunnock’s Teacakes: both say two very different things. And try as we might, we can’t help but make judgements based on things like this. We do it even more so nowadays because we don’t have time for much else. Visual cues are often what we base major decisions on.

So apart from buying new biscuits, what can you do to make sure your brand is communicating your business well?

The biggest impact your brand can have is through your website.

Your website is the backbone of your business

It’s very often the first interaction people will have with you. Even if you get new business through referrals, the people who are being referred will still want to check you out online.

If your website is slow to load, hard to navigate and poorly designed, people will make judgements about you and your ability to manage their life savings. That’s because they know what ‘good’ looks like and they know what to expect from a professional website.

Silver surfers far outrank millennials when it comes to shopping online*. They’re used to skipping around websites, finding what they want, and plugging their credit card details in to buy their goods. They’re often used to Facebook, Google and Waitrose.com, so you have to make sure your website delivers the same.

So, what should you look for?

It must work on mobile: 52% of people are using mobile devices, so if doesn’t work on this platform you’re losing half your visitors.

It must be fast: 40% abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load.

It must be secure: SSL certificates protect websites from attack and give visitors confidence that you’re trustworthy.

It must be optimised for search engines: 75% of clicks go to the first page of results on Google, so people need to be able to find you online.

Then there are the less technical aspects:

The design: 75% of users judge a business’s credibility by the design of its website. So yours needs to be clean, clear and easy to navigate.

The copy: jargon and official language will make you seem old fashioned and stuffy. Conversational copy that pinpoints your audience’s issues – and how you solve them – will show what you do.
The imagery: stock shots of pensioners on the beach won’t wash – you need to include images that are relevant to your target audience.

Fixing these issues will help to create a brand your clients can trust and feel confident about. And this will futureproof your business.

After all, it’s not just your clients you have to think about – it’s their children too. The ones who are set to inherit your client’s wealth. And if you think baby boomers are judgemental and brand sensitive, wait until you meet their millennial offspring…

If you’d like to see what’s happening behind the scenes of your own website, please email me at faith@faithliversedge.com. My team will assess your site and create a bespoke report. We offer this service free of charge.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for more advice on preparing your business for sale, download The City & Capital Group’s latest guide, free of charge, here.

*Source: The truth about online consumers, KPMG 2017

26Feb

Are less women putting themselves forwards for new roles in financial services?

26th February 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

There has been a huge push towards getting more females represented in the financial services industry and towards parity in pay – following the government’s campaign to close the gender pay gap.

But has this achieved enough, and are women being overlooked – or are they not ‘part of the race’?

At City & Capital we believe in ‘meritocracy’ and that people should be judged on their own actions rather than any pre-determined characteristics.

However, alarmingly, we have discovered that our statistics reveal there has been a huge discrepancy in men and women applicants for roles during 2019.

Almost 8/10 of the candidates we interviewed for roles were men. Despite approaches being made to males and females in broadly equal measure, we found that the former was more likely to apply, find out additional information and remain in the loop about opportunities – whether for right now or in the future.

This is a problem because – when we study our data – over 9/10 placements made have resulted in a higher remuneration package, and over 7/10 placements have resulted in a more senior position being attained.

In many countries, women represent nearly half of the financial services industry, according to this Catalyst report. This is encouraging and, while the UK employed 43% of females in this sector in 2018, our nation was still lagging far behind many of its global counterparts – particularly Finland which topped the table with 60%.

But what we know is there are two issues in play – yes, we want to push for more females to enter our sector, but we also want to encourage them to challenge for those top spots too. As an industry, we must empower people to come forward and put themselves out there for career progression.

On the flip side, we have seen that when women did engage with us for new roles in 2019, they were offered newer positions more often than men – underlining that when they are in the job market, they are as likely to attain more senior positions and a higher level of income.

So, it makes us wonder, what are the reasons?

Is it us? Is our approach less appealing to women, and how can we address this?
Do women generally feel more of a loyalty to their current employers?
Are women still the primary caregivers and do they currently get offered the flexibility they worry they may lose?
Is there less of a confidence that they are ‘right’ for the roles being advertised?

There has long been a debate about gender imbalance across many sectors – and it is still not entirely resolved. But, as an industry, let us continue to strive towards a greater level of diversity in the workplace and thrive in an inclusive environment.

We need to be looking to do more, whether that is making job roles more attractive – such as bringing in flexibility, career progression and employee engagement – and encouraging people to enjoy what the financial sector can provide for top talent, so that they apply for new roles within the sector.

Additionally, financial services should be working closely with recruiters to ensure that they have a diverse portfolio of candidates who can be a vital asset to their organisations.

It is naïve to think that gender imbalance can be solved swiftly, however, it is vital that we are recognised as an industry that champions all who represent them – regardless of characteristics, genetics and alike.

We are keen to help more talent fulfil their career ambitions, and to help businesses with their growth strategies. Bringing in new talent with new ideas, and further diversifying a workplace does not just help businesses survive, but thrive, as inclusion improves processes and allows firms to better understand a wider client base.

Interested in speaking to us about your recruitment, headhunting or acquisitions needs? Contact us HERE or call the office on 0113 457 6701.

22Jan

A day in the life of Victoria Hicks

22nd January 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

Last month, our City & Capital Acquisitions director, Victoria Hicks, spoke to the Yorkshire Post about a typical working day in the life of a financial services acquisitions specialist.

15Jan

Meet Graham Strugnell – The City and Capital Group’s financial services consultant

15th January 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

As we look back on 2019, we know we wouldn’t be where we are today without our fantastic team. In the final instalment of our employee Q&A, we’re learning a little bit more about our financial services consultant, Graham.

Summarise your role in one paragraph:
I’m here to meet and help financial advisers who want to buy or sell a company or client bank. Having been through the process myself, I enjoy sharing my story with others and helping people work through the variety of options available to them.

What does it take to be a great financial services consultant?
Being present, and taking the time to sit down with advisers to help them through what can be a muddle of thoughts and ideas. Financial advisers have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, and clients come first. Being able to help advisers take some time to assess their personal positions can really help with goal setting and effective exit planning.

What’s the best part of your job at City & Capital?
Helping people to get the best deal, which could be financial or cultural, but is usually a mixture of the two.

What do you see as a finance-related ‘job well done’?
People who are grateful for my honest advice.

What’s been the most satisfying moment of your City & Capital career so far?
Joining the team! Having spent some time discussing the opportunity with Vicki and Stu, I knew that I would feel comfortable recommending their firm to those looking to grow or exit.

If you could change one thing about the financial advisory sector, what would it be?
To believe in itself! I am so passionate about financial advice, as I have seen the benefit that long-term relationships can bring to clients. There will always be the few that let the profession down, and of course the media will latch onto these stories, but remain resolute that you are improving the lives and futures of so many.

What is the biggest challenge facing the industry over the next 12 months?
Managing the hurdles put in place by regulator and the media.

Describe yourself in three words or less
Positive, confident, trustworthy.

It’s the work’s Christmas party and you’re up next on the karaoke machine – what song will you be belting out?
Jeff Beck’s, ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

To be very fit, with no effort needed!

10Jan

Stuart Hicks looks forwards – and back – for Yorkshire Business Insider

10th January 2020 Ruth Harrison-Davies

Our MD, Stuart Hicks, spoke to Yorkshire Business Insider this week about how 2019 looked for The City & Capital Group, as well as what 2020 has in store for the financial services industry. In case you missed the piece, catch up on our comments below.

2019. The year of the stop, start, revert and repeat. With political and economic uncertainty so prevalent for our financial services clients, it really has been a tough year for many to plan and progress with the confidence they would like – and have become accustomed to – in the latter half of this decade.

In these moments there is a pattern as old as time. The consolidators will (continue) to rise in their quest for market share, leaving the necessary pockets for the innovators and market disruptors who bring real change and challenge to the status quo. The latter being to the ultimate benefit of the customers they serve.

It is in these pockets that The City & Capital Group intends to deliver in 2020, both in terms of innovation within our own industry, as well as consulting for those who strive to deliver positive and impactful change for service users in their specialist markets.

03Dec

The importance of business protection

3rd December 2019 punch_admin

As a former company owner herself, our very own Victoria Hicks knows all about the commitment – and sacrifice – that comes with managing your own firm.

When things are running smoothly, it’s easy to enjoy the financial freedom and flexibility offered to those at the top – but it’s important not to overlook the, often unforeseen, risks.

While many plan for the ‘obvious’, business protection can help an organisation continue to trade if the owner or a key person dies or becomes terminally or critically ill. Proceeds from an insurance policy can also pay to replace a key person, clear any debt or make a payment to the family of the deceased.

Although many assume this could be a lengthy, complicated and expensive process, it really isn’t the case. In this latest blog for MMB Magazine, Victoria explains everything you need to be aware of, and what to do next. Read the full article here.

06Nov

Are advisers becoming more open to shorting strategies?

6th November 2019 Paige Catton

The City & Capital Group's director, Victoria Hicks, recently spoke to the FT Adviser about how to best utilise strategies – and what type – to maximise future planning.

News