Andrew Westenberger joins Brewin Dolphin

BREWIN Dolphin has ended a five-month executive search with the appointment of Andrew Westenberger as the wealth management firm’s new finance director.

The announcement marks the re-emergence of Westenberger, who left his previous post as finance chief at city investment house Evolution in August of last year. His surprise departure came just weeks before Evolution agreed a £230 million takeover from Investec, the Anglo-South African banking conglomerate.

Westenberger will take over from current group finance director Robin Bayford on 1 January. Bayford, 62, is retiring after 21 years as finance director at Brewin Dolphin. Westenberger joined Evolution in 2009, and was during his tenure also a director of the group’s Williams de Broe subsidiary. He qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, and from 2000 to 2008 held various senior finance roles in London and New York with Barclays Capital.

On Tuesday, Brewin reported a 3.3 per cent rise in half-year profits to £12.3m. Much of the upturn was down to a sharp reduction in charges linked to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme levy.