Rathbones
UK asset management company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rathbones Group Plc is a UK provider of personalised investment management and wealth management services for private investors and trustees. This includes discretionary investment management, unit trusts, tax planning, trust and company management, pension advice and banking services. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
| |
 30 Gresham Street, Head office of Rathbones Group | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Finance |
| Founded | 1742 |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
Key people | Clive Bannister, Chairman Jonathan Sorrell, CEO Jennifer Mathias, FD |
| Revenue |  £820.7 million (2025)[1] |
| £152.9 million (2025)[1] | |
| £112.3 million (2025)[1] | |
| AUM | £115.6 billion (2025)[1] |
| Website | www.rathbones.com |
History
18th century
The business was founded by William Rathbone II by 1742 as a Liverpool-based timber trading business.[2]
19th century
In the 19th century it became a leading trader in cotton from the United States and in 1841 it became the Liverpool agent for the East India Company.[2]
20th century
In 1912 it abandoned its trading operations and focused on financial management.[2]
In 1988 it merged with Comprehensive Financial Services Ltd to form Rathbone Brothers plc[2] and thereby secured a listing on the London Stock Exchange.[3]
21st century
Rathbones acquired the wealth management business of Saunderson House for approximately £150 million in October 2021 from Epiris. Saunderson House had originally been acquired by the firm via a takeover of IFG Group PLC in 2019.[4]
It changed its name from Rathbone Brothers to Rathbones Group on 1 December 2021.[5]
In 2022, it acquired Scotland's largest independent wealth manager, Speirs & Jeffrey.[6]
In April 2023, Rathbones agreed to buy Investec's wealth and investment businesses in the UK and Channel Islands for £839 million. The deal excludes Investec Bank (Switzerland) and Investec International wealth business.[7] Investec had previously sold their Irish wealth management business to Brewin Dolphin in 2019.[8]
In November 2025, Rathbones announced it was establishing an Irish office based in Dublin partially to assist in servicing EU clients.[9]
Operations
The company provides investment management, financial planning, tax and trust services.[10] It has 22 offices located across the UK, the Channel Islands and Ireland.[11]
The current CEO is Jonathan Sorrell, who was appointed in March 2025 and joined the company on 1 July 2025.[12]
The previous CEO was Paul Stockton, who was appointed to the position in May 2019 and retired in March 2025.[13][14][15] He had previously worked at the company from 2008, as group financial and managing director.[14]
Responsible business
The Rathbones Group Foundation is the charitable arm of the group, supporting charities that pay particular attention to at risk and vulnerable youths.[16]