Sam Wright established Westpeak Wealth, earlier this year, following a career spanning more than 20 years as an investment manager. The financial advisor decided to set up the firm strictly as a planning business with no plans for discretionary permissions.

Mr Wright argued there was a long-term value from providing financial guidance than investment management, where the relationship tended to be measured on performance and portfolio size.

The former investment manager spent his career at Investec Wealth & Investment and then Rathbones following the combination of the two businesses. 

He told Citywire: “We are focusing on advice and have no intention of launching Westpeak Investment Management. It has become clear to me over the last few years that clients were getting more value from advice that had a real tangible effect on simplifying their lives, than on whether I was choosing investment A over investment B.”

Mr Wright added that the UK was facing a shortage of advisor, agreeing with research carried out by Boring Money that found the UK advice gap widened to 14.6m in 2026, which highlighted a need for more advisors.

He said: “I think there is a shortage of advisers, and there’s a huge market in this country that would benefit from good financial advice. I’ve spent more than 20 years in wealth management, and I know the value of the expertise, experience and resources that established firms can offer.

“[But] I also believe there’s an opportunity to build a business where the client relationship comes first, where fees are clear and fair, and where financial planning starts with the individual, not simply their portfolio.

He added: “I loved my time at Investec, but I’ve always had the itch to set up my own company and now felt like the right time. I had a vision for what Westpeak could be, in terms of doing things with integrity and in the right way.”