Old Mill has appointed Amanda Browning as partner and head of wealth management, as part of its growth plans to enhance its offering.
Browning joins from Evelyn Partners, formerly Tilney and Smith & Williamson, where she was responsible for the integration of the wealth management teams following the merger.
After two years managing the expanded team, Browning was looking to move on, and her former colleague David Gage - who joined Old Mill as head of VAT in October – suggested that she meet up with Old Mill’s head of wealth management, Paula Hodge.
Hodge said: “We have an open-door recruitment policy at Old Mill – when we meet someone great, we get them in, and talent of Amanda’s calibre doesn’t come along often. From the first time we met there was a real synergy.
“Not only does she have extensive wealth management knowledge and expertise, but she also believes in the value of regional practice, and in the importance of integration and collaboration, all of which aligns perfectly with what we are looking to achieve at Old Mill.”
Browning began her career as a cashier at Lloyds, and over the last 25 years has held senior roles at Coutts and Rathbones Group before joining Smith and Williamson as a director in 2019.
She is also a CISI fellow chartered wealth manager and CII fellow chartered financial planner.
“Having always worked for larger corporates, Old Mill hadn’t really been on my radar,” she said.
“But when I met Paula, I could see her passion for the business, for her clients, and her belief in the holistic approach – something I am also very passionate about - and was hugely impressed with the growth Old Mill had achieved – and was still achieving – while maintaining its core values.
“I believe I have a lot to offer in terms of helping increase collaboration across the business to enhance Old Mill’s holistic service. I am also a real supporter of the ‘recruit, retain and promote’ strategy and feel I am in a position to take that on a level to help my planners grow and develop.”
In her last role as managing partner at Evelyn Partners, Browning was responsible for integrating and managing the Bristol discretionary fund managers and financial planning teams from both Tilney and Smith & Williamson into a single business.
Kevin Whitmarsh, CEO of Old Mill, said: “Since the restructure, where we brought all aspects of the business together into one multi-service advisory firm, and announced our ambitious growth plans, the business has gone from strength to strength.
“But if we are to achieve our goals, we need to continue to bring in the very best talent.
“Amanda is not only a very accomplished and experienced candidate but is also someone that shares our vision for Old Mill, and she will be a huge asset as we push forward with our ambitious plans.”
