Wren Sterling expands in the South West and Scotland with £500m double acquisition
- Simon Bourke
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
31st March 2026
Deal summary
Wren Sterling has completed the acquisitions of Keyte Ltd in Taunton and Mackenzie Taylor Asset Management in Glasgow, extending its footprint in the South West and Scotland. Together, the two deals add nearly 1,400 clients and close to £500m of assets to the national advice firm. Wren Sterling said the transactions fit its strategy of combining locally rooted advisory teams with a broader, well-governed financial planning proposition.
About Wren Sterling
Wren Sterling is a national financial planning and wealth management business headquartered in Nottingham, backed by New York-based private equity firm Lightyear Capital following a secondary management buyout in December 2021. The group provides independent financial advice to individuals, families and businesses across the UK, supported by Magnus, its sister company offering discretionary fund management services. Wren Sterling has completed over 20 acquisitions in the past five years and, as of early 2026, had more than £10bn of client assets under advice.
About Keyte Ltd and Mackenzie Taylor Asset Management
Keyte Ltd is a Taunton-based firm of independent Chartered Financial Planners founded by Robin and Siobhan Keyte. Built around a graduate adviser team, the business has developed a strong reputation for accessible, client-focused advice. The firm contributes approximately £400m in assets and around 1,100 clients to Wren Sterling, along with a team of six financial planners and five support staff. Robin Keyte is recognised nationally through his work with the FCA Smaller Business Practitioner Panel and the CISI Financial Planning Forum Committee, and has made regular appearances in consumer media including BBC Radio 4's Money Box.
Mackenzie Taylor Asset Management is a boutique advisory firm based in Glasgow, led by founder David Canning for more than 15 years. The firm adds more than 300 clients and approximately £86m in assets to Wren Sterling, extending the group's footprint in Scotland.
Why is Wren Sterling acquiring these firms?
Wren Sterling's acquisition approach centres on bringing well-established, owner-managed advice businesses into a larger, nationally scaled platform while preserving the local relationships and teams that underpin those businesses. The Keyte deal reflects a clear preference for firms with long client histories, strong professional credentials and identifiable local leadership. CEO James Twining cited Robin Keyte as "one of the best-known figures in retail financial planning" and described David Canning as having "built a loyal client base in Glasgow over more than 15 years."
The two deals also advance a deliberate geographic strategy. The Taunton office will serve as a regional hub for the West of England, building on Wren Sterling's existing presence in Broadway and Oxford following its January 2026 acquisition of Brunsdon Financial in Gloucester. The Mackenzie Taylor deal reinforces Wren Sterling's Scottish presence, complementing its June 2025 acquisition of City Financial in Aberdeen.
What Happens Next?
The eleven-strong Keyte team will continue operating from the Taunton office, which Wren Sterling has confirmed it will retain as a regional hub. Clients of both firms will gain access to Wren Sterling's wider planning proposition, including discretionary investment management services and model portfolio solutions through Magnus.
Wren Stirling’s other recent acquisitions
Brunsdon Financial - January 2026
Acquisition of Gloucester-based Brunsdon Financial, adding around £265m of assets under advice and nearly 800 client households. Eight advisers and nine support staff joined Wren Sterling as part of the deal, which further strengthened the group's South West presence.
Evans Hart - December 2025
Acquisition of London and South East based IFA Evans Hart, adding around £900m of assets and approximately 2,450 clients. The deal gave Wren Sterling a new London hub on Fleet Street and greater density across the South East.
City Financial (Aberdeen) Ltd - June 2025
Acquisition of a Scotland-based advice firm with over £700m in assets under management and more than 6,000 clients, which approximately doubled Wren Sterling's presence north of the border.
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