Crestone acquires UBS Wealth Management



Crestone Holdings Limited has announced it has finalised the acquisition of UBS Wealth Management Australia and has begun operating with $14 billion in assets under management.
The acquisition comes after UBS Wealth Management ceased providing wealth management services in the Australian market in May 2015, citing increased regulatory and client requirements, and complex operational processes as obstacles to operating in a sustainable manner.
It had announced the wealth management arm would transition to Crestone, a staff-owned entity.
The transition was initially slated for last year but it was changed to an acquisition and the start date was moved to June.
The firm, headed by former UBS Wealth Management chief executive, Mike Chisholm, has 170 employees, including 70 investment advisers who worked together at UBS for around 10 years, encompassing the majority of advisers who were formerly at UBS.
It has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The firm provides advice and portfolio management services to high net worth clients, family offices, not for profit organisations, and financial institutions.
Crestone has also secured a global network of strategic partners including UBS, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Credit Suisse, Northern Trust, and platform provider, Avaloq.
Recommended for you
AZ NGA has entered into a strategic partnership with national advice firm MiQ Private Wealth, as a way to provide a succession solution, as well as career development opportunities for staff.
While the advice profession struggles under growing operating costs, Adviser Ratings has found more than half of practices – some 58 per cent – that generate less than $250,000 in revenue report no profit at all.
The Federal Court has ordered the freezing of assets and the appointment of receivers to two entities linked to Australian Fiduciaries, ASIC’s latest move in an ongoing investigation into the company’s managed investment schemes.
Off the back of the August adviser exam results, the profession has seen 17 new entrants hit the Financial Adviser Register (FAR) this week, helping numbers return to positive territory.