Alex Montgomery

Mr Montgomery was joint CEO at respected Scottish wealth manager Tcam Asset Management, which managed over £1 billion of assets for clients before it was acquired by 7IM in 2018. He left 7IM a year later.

This will be JH&P’s second regional office – former Aberdeen Standard manager Aidan Butler opened the first, in Leeds, last year.

Andy Steel, JH&P CEO, said: “Alex has great experience, impeccable connections and is an outstanding addition to the team. He has a serious appreciation of what it takes to deliver a high-quality investment management and financial planning service to clients and a commitment to excellence that makes him a great fit for the business.

“We’ve been looking to open an office in Scotland for some time, but this isn’t just about a good geographical opportunity. We’ve known each other professionally for a long time, and there’s a good cultural fit here – Alex shares the JH&P values.

“The pandemic has encouraged many of us to rethink how we live and work. Video conferencing has been enormously helpful, but it can’t ever completely replace face-to-face interaction. The opening of these two offices makes it easier to serve the growing number of clients we have in the Midlands, the North and Scotland. It also opens up opportunities for some of our London staff with families who are interested in moving out of the capital.”

Alex Montgomery, who joins as a partner from today, added: “For me a key attraction of James Hambro & Partners is that it’s an independent partnership. The business doesn’t have to meet arbitrary targets set by an owner, so it focuses on the long term and doing what matters – delivering great service and performance.”

JH&P expects to open its office in the city by April, and more hires are in the pipeline.

Montgomery said: “We want to have the capacity to deliver all the firm’s services from the Edinburgh office, so that will mean recruiting experienced and capable financial planning and investment professionals and support staff. However, with the support of colleagues in London and Leeds, we’ll be able to provide the full range of services to Scottish clients from day one.”

“JH&P already has a number of Scottish clients, and Lord Balniel – a founding partner – is based in Fife, near St Andrews. That means we’re already sensitive to some of the subtle but important differences in law and taxation that affect individuals and charities here. Having a strong team in Scotland will augment the firm’s ability to serve Scottish clients. I know that for many of them, with the spectre of another referendum looming, there’s an appeal in having a wealth manager with a foot on both sides of the border.”