A new regional Financial Planning hub is to be established by Sanlam UK as it embarks on an adviser recruitment drive.

The firm’s office in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, is to be ‘relaunched’ and placed at the centre of its Thames Valley operations with plans to hire more staff.

The company announced today: “From the outset the office will be populated by three Sanlam Wealth Planners and two Discretionary Fund Managers, all supported by customer facing administrative support.

“The Marlow office will initially deliver financial planning and wealth management services to existing private clients in the region, for whom it already looks after in excess of £150million (funds under influence) and it will look to grow and develop its footprint through 2016 and beyond.

“The office will also provide employee benefits and auto-enrolment advice to a growing book of corporate clients and give support, service and guidance to the legal and accounting community.

“Paraplanning support to the Wealth Planners will be delivered by the centralised team in Bristol, thereby following Sanlam’s revised operational model.”

Alex Morley, chief executive of Sanlam Wealth Planning, said: “2016 will see the launch of a new era for Sanlam in the UK where we will, I believe, take our place amongst the leading wealth management businesses in the country. We have been building our presence steadily in the Thames Valley over the last couple of years and our revitalised presence in Marlow will strengthen that further.

“It is an area where we plan to grow dynamically – both through the recruitment of financial advisers to our Wealth Planning team and through the attraction of new clients.”

Sanlam has also just made three appointments. Jeremy Gibson becomes chief executive of Sanlam Investments & Pensions having operated as chief financial officer for Sanlam UK since 2012. He will continue as a director of Sanlam UK.

Steven Haines and Alfio Tagliabue join the Board of Sanlam UK as group chief operating officer and group chief financial officer respectively, both having worked previously with Sanlam UK Group chief executive Jonathan Polin at Ashcourt Rowan.