Key hires fuel further growth for Edinburgh arm of investment firm 7IM

Investment firm 7IM has bolstered its Edinburgh-based private client team with two key hires.

The appointment of Elaine McLachlan and Andy Bolden, above, to the 7IM Edinburgh operation follows a string of high-profile hires in Scotland over the last few months.

The appointment of Elaine McLachlan and Andy Bolden to the operation follows a string of high-profile hires in Scotland over the last three months, including that of Kris Barclay, who joined 7IM as head of private clients, Edinburgh, in June, bringing more than 20 years of industry experience to the role.

McLachlan joins the firm as a private client manager bringing more than 30 years of investment experience. She joins from Investec Wealth & Investment where she was senior investment director for about six years, responsible for growing the firm’s presence in Inverness as well as managing portfolios for individuals, trusts, charities, companies and investment trusts. Prior to this, she held a number of investment positions at Brewin Dolphin and Scottish Amicable Investment Managers.

Bolden joins as a financial planner with 30 years of experience advising clients on complex financial planning issues. He was previously a senior manager at Brown Shipley Private Bank where he specialised in estate planning and wealth preservation. Prior to this he was an independent financial consultant at Hampton Dean.

Barclay said: “We are thrilled to have Elaine and Andy join our rapidly expanding team in Scotland, both of whom bring high calibre expertise. Over the last few months, we have made significant investment into our presence here, including adding four new hires into what is now a formidable Edinburgh private client team.

“In an environment of extremely low interest rates and faster than expected rises in inflation, good financial planning and advice has arguably never been more important.”

Earlier this year, 7IM’s new Edinburgh-based chairman said the business was committed to growing its presence north of the Border as it homed in on £20 billion of assets under management.

Adrian Grace spent a decade as the boss of insurer Aegon’s Edinburgh-based UK operation and took up the role of 7IM chair last autumn.

His experience working in the capital for some 20 years will come to the fore given the investment firm’s expansion in Scotland, which was turbocharged by the acquisition of TCAM in 2018.

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