Tilney Smith & Williamson is pleased to announce that it has acquired HFS Milbourne, one of the leading financial and investment advisory firms in Surrey. HFS Milbourne is based in Guildford and supports clients with c£450 million of assets under influence.

HFS Milbourne is a well-established financial advisory business, created in 2005 from the merger of Milbourne Financial Services and Hayden Financial Services, both of which were founded in the mid-1980s respectively by joint Managing Directors Rod Milne and Colin Hayden-Cook. The business has approximately thirty staff, including seven advisers and provides both holistic personal financial planning and investment advice, as well as corporate financial planning and employee benefits services. HFS Milbourne has built a particularly successful position working with family law firms across Surrey.

The acquisition further strengthens Tilney Smith & Williamson’s presence in Surrey, where it currently has over 100 people based in Guildford across both its financial services and professional services businesses. The HFS Milbourne team, led by Rod and Colin, will join Tilney Smith & Williamson’s financial planning business in Guildford, providing clients with continuity in their adviser relationships.

Chris Woodhouse, Group Chief Executive Officer of Tilney Smith & Williamson, commented:

“Colin and Rod have built a high-quality, client-focused business over many years that they can rightly be very proud of. We are delighted that they have chosen to become part of Tilney Smith & Williamson and to welcome the HFS Milbourne team to our business. HFS Milbourne are joining the group at a time when the importance of getting sound, expert advice has arguably never been greater given the impact of the pandemic. Our ability to support clients with both their personal wealth management needs and business interests through our range of professional services is unrivalled in the market and so we are uniquely well-positioned to help clients navigate the challenges of the current environment and beyond.”

Rod Milne, Joint Managing Director of HFS Milbourne commented:

“Colin and I have given much thought over the last couple of years to the long-term future of the business. We are proud of what we have built at HFS Milbourne, so the bar was high in choosing a long-term home for both our team and clients. Tilney Smith & Williamson stood out above other potential acquirers with its breadth of services and successful track record of combining advice businesses. We look forward to continuing to grow the business as part of the Tilney Smith & Williamson family.”

Colin Hayden-Cook, Joint Managing Director of HFS Milbourne added:

“We have been really impressed with the culture that Tilney Smith & Williamson has developed. As part of the larger group, our clients will benefit from the un-doubted advantages that much greater scale brings in terms of systems, resources and expertise, while also allowing us to remain focused on the thing that is most important to us: supporting our clients with highly-personalised financial advice. We look forward to our future as part of the Tilney Smith & Williamson team in Surrey.”

HFS Milbourne was advised on the transaction by Asgard Partners Ltd. Photos of Rod Milne, Colin Hayden-Cook and Chris Woodhouse are available on request from Katy.Moore@tilney.co.uk