Houlihan Lokey Advises Perspective Financial Group and CBPE Capital on Its Sale to Charlesbank Capital Partners

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Perspective Financial Group Ltd. (Perspective), a portfolio company of CBPE Capital LLP (CBPE), has been acquired by Charlesbank Capital Partners (Charlesbank), a leading US private equity manager, alongside significant reinvestment from the existing management team. The transaction was closed on May 8, 2024.

Founded in 2008, Perspective is a leading client-centric financial planning and wealth management firm providing a range of tailored financial planning solutions to individuals, families, and corporate clients nationwide. Alongside this comprehensive client-centric financial planning solution, the group also offers a bespoke discretionary portfolio management service through its affiliate, Cambridge Investments Ltd., which provides a range of tailored portfolios suitable to clients of all risk appetites and investment objectives.

Perspective has grown rapidly through a targeted M&A strategy focused on consolidating the retiring independent financial advisor (IFA) segment of the UK wealth market; its approach is underpinned by a robust integration process ensuring cultural and regulatory alignment across the group. Perspective has completed 80 acquisitions since its inception, including more than 45 since CBPE’s investment in 2019. This impressive track record has ensured that the group is recognised as the acquirer of choice in this segment of the market.

As a result, Perspective has grown to manage £8.0 billion of assets for clients through a network of 40 offices and 500 staff, 140 of whom are financial planners, across the UK and Northern Ireland.

With Charlesbank joining as majority shareholder, Perspective will continue to cement its position as the leading client-centric financial planning and wealth management business and provide an outstanding home for retiring IFAs who share a desire to place their clients at the heart of their operations.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Perspective and handled all elements of marketing, structuring, and negotiating the transaction in addition to arranging debt financing through a comprehensive lender education program that ran in parallel to the sale process. This transaction further strengthens Houlihan Lokey’s leadership in the UK and European wealth management sector and adds to a host of recently announced transactions, including Cinerius Financial Partners, Sakra, Saltus, Solomon, Ascot Lloyd, Cardale Asset Management, Wren Sterling, and Formuesforvaltning.