Press release & CEO video – Shackleton brand launch

Shackleton – Britain’s financial adviser launches

A business bolstered by the purchase of four financial advice firms.

2^nd December 2024 – LONDON. Shackleton – Britain’s financial adviser (‘Shackleton’), a business which incorporates the rebranded Skerritts Group, has launched today.  Headquartered in London, Shackleton will operate as a single, nationwide financial advice firm, with a physical presence in major cities and towns across Britain.

Shackleton is bringing together into one business what it firmly believes to be the best, most professional financial advice firms from across the country, uniting them with a single identity, a single approach, and a single set of values.

As one business with a unified identity, values and culture, a unified way of operating, a single approach to investment, and a single, affordable and transparent charging structure, Shackleton aims to be recognised as the most trusted provider of financial advice in the country. The launch of the Shackleton brand is a direct response to the erosion of trust in the advice sector caused by the past actions of certain established players.

To find out more about the Shackleton brand, including a video interview with Paul Feeney, CEO setting out the rationale for launching the Shackleton business, and a short film introducing the firm’s values and visual identity.

A business built on great British values

Shackleton is built on and inspired by universally admired and respected British values, values espoused by its namesake, Britain’s greatest explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The overarching objective is very simple; Shackleton will seek to improve its clients’ financial security, and, by doing so, enable them to live their lives, safe in the knowledge that their financial affairs are in good order.

As Britain’s financial adviser, five core values sit at the heart of Shackleton:

• Respect – by seeking to earn and retain its clients’ trust by listening carefully to them, and by acting always in their best interests. The firm will remain ever mindful of the asymmetry of information that exists between them and their clients, and will never, ever seek to use this to their advantage, but rather, only for their clients’ benefit.
• Fairness – by resolutely committing to making high-quality financial advice easily available and accessible to everyone who would benefit from it, nationwide, and in whichever way best suits their needs. Simultaneously, the firm seeks to be fair and affordable, continually seeking to drive down fees and costs for clients.
• Caring – by caring deeply about providing clients with high-quality advice and service, Shackleton has been deliberately structured to ensure that that there are no impediments to doing so.
• Dependable – by being among the most highly qualified professionals in its field and motivated to always act in a client’s best interests, through honesty, integrity and openness. All Shackleton advisers are employed, not self-employed, therefore, working for the client and not for themselves.
• Courageous – by having the courage to build a business that is fundamentally different from established nationwide advice providers. To challenge the status quo and take necessary action when it’s in a client’s best interests. To believe that quality advice and investment management should be accessible to all at a fair, affordable and transparent price. To build Britain’s financial adviser.

Business as usual for clients

Shackleton’s Chartered status, the pinnacle of financial planning standards, demonstrates its commitment to delivering the highest quality advice.

In addition, Shackleton is supportive of the government’s focus on helping people to reach their financial goals through improved access, greater inclusion and recognising the importance of education in financial services. Shackleton’s Wealth Builder proposition is a holistic financial advice service – accessible and affordable, regardless of where clients live in the country – which could be suitable for those with less complex needs.

Shackleton CEO Paul Feeney comments:

“In Shackleton I believe we are creating something truly unique, to serve the financial needs of one of the most remarkable, courageous, and yet tolerant societies on earth.

“We believe that, for too long, trust in the financial advice profession has been eroded by the actions of certain established providers, whose business models were designed not for the benefit of their clients, but for themselves. We know that trust is earned; it can be given, and it can be taken away. This thought is imprinted on our minds, acting as the guiding light in our goal of seeking always to be the most trusted provider of financial advice in the country.

“I am confident that our new brand will, very quickly, become synonymous with the provision of high-quality, affordable financial advice right across the country.”

A focused organic and acquisitive growth strategy:

Shackleton has an established nationwide presence and has been rapidly growing its scale, and reputation of being an industry consolidator, through a successful Buy & Build strategy, supported by Sovereign Capital Partners. Click here to read more about Sovereign Capital.

In September 2024, the business broadened its regional exposure to include the North of England and Scotland through the purchase of Ellis Bates.

Today, Shackleton is pleased to announce the purchase of four more financial advice businesses, bringing the number of deals completed to fifteen since Sovereign Capital Partners’ investment in March 2021, seven of which have taken place in 2024 alone, bringing assets under advice and management to circa £5.5 billion.

• Save & Invest Group Limited(‘S&I’)

Managing £550m of AUM, S&I was launched in 1985 and has offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth.

• Fleming Financial Limited (‘FFL’)

Managing £250m of AUM, FFL was part of Bishop Fleming LLP and has offices in Bristol and Plymouth.

• Robson Lister Limited (‘RLL’)

Managing £350m of AUM, RLL was established in 2001 and is based in Sutton Coldfield.

• Shorts Financial Services LLP (‘SFS’)

Managing £350m of AUM, SFS was part of Shorts Accountants. It is based in Chesterfield.

Ellis Bates, FFL, RLL, S&I and SFS will be fully rebranded as Shackleton early in 2025.

Commenting on the four purchases, Paul Feeney said:

“I am delighted to welcome the teams and clients from Save & Invest, Fleming Financial, Robson Lister and Shorts Financial Services who all join as Co-Founders of our new national business. Their addition greatly complements our existing Co-Founder firms.”

“We’ve launched Shackleton – Britain’s financial adviser with the vision of bringing together into one business what we firmly believe to the best, most professional financial advice firms from across the country. The addition of these four exceptional firms demonstrates our commitment to delivering against this goal. We are just beginning. There are other regional and indeed multi-regional champion firms, right across the country, who are joining us in our great undertaking. We will shortly announce them too, subject to regulatory approval.”