Wealth manager Brooks Macdonald has appointed Josh Lewsey as group strategy and corporate development officer.

The former England, British and Irish Lions rugby union player has over 20 years of experience in financial and professional services.

Most recently he was an operating partner advising on private equity transactions based in Asia.

Other previous roles include regional CEO of a private equity portfolio company and as strategy and transactions partner for Ernst & Young.

He will join the company on 16 June and report to CEO Andrea Montague.

Ms Montague said: “I am delighted to welcome Josh to Brooks Macdonald and to my executive team. The depth and breadth of his experience in financial and investment services and his ability to align strategic objectives with operational execution will be invaluable.”

Mr Lewsey is also a senior advisory board member and visiting professor of leadership at the University of Law Business School and a board director for Hong Kong China Rugby.

He was also an Army officer before resigning to concentrate on rugby in 2002. He represented England 55 times during his rugby career and was part of the team that took the country to World Cup victory in 2003.

Brooks Macdonald has recently made several senior appointments, including new chief operating officer Karen Charlery.

Andrea Montague took over as CEO on 1 October, during which time the firm has made several acquisitions.

Brooks Macdonald has been striving to recover after being hit by net outflows in 2023 and cutting 10% of staff.

It said at the time that the cuts from its 512-strong workforce were designed to ensure it was, “set up for success, organised to deliver its strategy and drive growth.”

In the past few months it has completed the acquisition of Chartered Financial Planners LIFT-Financial Group Limited and LIFT-Invest for £45m, Welsh Chartered Financial Planning firm CST Wealth Management for an undisclosed sum and £890m AUA Norwich-based Lucas Fettes Financial Planning.

It completed the sale of Brooks Macdonald Asset Management (International) to Canaccord Genuity Wealth during the first quarter. The firm also chose to sell its international operations following a strategic review.

Canaccord paid an initial consideration of £28m, with a further contingent sum of up to £22.85m payable in cash two years post-completion, subject to performance criteria.

Brooks Macdonald recently completed the process of moving its share listing from AIM to the London Stock Exchange main market

It announced it would make the change in February, in a move that the chief executive Andrea Montague said would “further enhance” the group’s profile and provide more opportunities for investors to hold the company’s shares.