Sanlam looks to grads to grow adviser numbers to 200

Sanlam Private Wealth, the newly rebranded Buckles Investment Services, plans to ramp up its graduate recruitment drive to boost its adviser numbers to over 200.

With 44 of the company's 60-strong adviser workforce products of the scheme, Sanlam UK head of distribution Nigel Speirs (pictured) hails its graduate programme as the "bedrock" of the business.

Rhyl-based Sanlam Private Wealth took on six more graduates in January, bringing to 18 the number currently in training and due to start advising next year.

Six more graduates will begin advising next week having completed their in-house training.

Speirs says: "We look for bright people with 2:1 degrees and people who can smile - advisers are best when they are smiling."

"The advantage we offer is a bigger career path and the option to go to South Africa or other parts of the UK."

Having slowed down its graduate recruitment programme this year, Speirs says the company will now pick up the pace in 2012 as it looks to expand its adviser workforce to 200 by 2015.

The recruitment of ten experienced advisers in December did not mark any change in recruitment strategy, he says, stressing graduates will continue to make up the "lion's share" of its adviser force.

Amongst its graduate success stories include head of IFA investment solutions Rick Eling - who joined the graduate scheme five years ago - along with three sales managers and its compliance director.

On completion of the training programme, the company's graduates are Level 3 qualified. They then have thirty months to achieve Level 4 status, as set out under RDR rules for new entrants.

Speirs says around 60% of its current adviser workforce are Level 4 qualified. By 2013, he says all of its advisers will be Level 4.

Meanwhile, he stressed Sanlam Private Wealth's move from being independent to restricted post-RDR will not alter its service offering in any way.