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Hoxton Wealth has seen remarkable growth, reaching $2bn in AUM and making four acquisitions in 2024 alone. Walk us through the key factors that contributed to this rapid acceleration. What were some of the significant challenges and milestones along the way?
Our team has been the key factor behind our success. Coupled with the right management structure, staying disciplined, and not letting success get to our heads, these elements have fueled our growth. Ultimately, we’re a founder-owned business that has aimed to scale since day one, so it was crucial to get the right people on board and determine where each one should sit.
The whole industry faced extremely challenging market conditions from 2022 through 2023. During this period, we pivoted away from being a pensions transfer business to becoming more holistic wealth managers. That pivot has been a huge success and has underpinned our growth in recent years, in particular.
Hoxton now has offices in the US, UK, Australia, Europe, and Dubai. How do you maintain consistency in service and advice across such diverse markets?
We maintain a top-down approach to management, which, simply put, works for us. Twice a year, we run company conferences to help everyone stay on the same page. Training is important, and our philosophy is ambitious and compelling—something our team can comfortably subscribe to.
How important is the UAE, and specifically Dubai, to your overall strategy?
The UAE has been a fantastic place to start and grow our business over the last six years. It’s an incredibly attractive place for talent acquisition, as highly skilled people from across the world want to move to the UAE.
Dubai is a cultural melting pot, and the same can be said for our business. We have team members from across Asia, the UK, the US, and Europe — all of them are ambitious. It takes a special kind of person to leave their home country and build their life elsewhere, and our team embodies that growth mindset. Additionally, the government has created an environment where businesses can thrive, and things get done quickly.
Having moved to the UAE in 2011, what has been your experience of the UAE’s evolution as a financial hub? What makes the UAE, and Dubai in particular, an attractive destination for investors and businesses today?
Every continent needs a major financial hub. Historically, cities like New York, London, and Singapore served this role. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was missing that hub until Dubai stepped in. Over the last 10 years, Dubai has rapidly evolved into a major global player, and I regularly speak with colleagues from around the world who are keen to open businesses or offices in Dubai rather than in legacy financial hubs.
You’ve become a great example of an expat realising their ‘Emirati dream’. What advice do you have for other expats considering a move to the UAE, both personally and professionally?
It is amazing out here, but it will be a change from where you come from. Be open to change and adapt to how things work in the UAE. You must want to seize opportunities and grab them with both hands — sitting back and waiting won’t bring the opportunities to you.
Hoxton Capital Management recently rebranded to Hoxton Wealth. What was the driving force behind this rebranding, and how does the new brand better represent your company’s vision and direction?
We are a global, multi-faceted wealth management group that harnesses world-class technology alongside some of the profession’s most talented planners. The rebranding gives us a much cleaner and more sophisticated version of what we are now.
Over the last few years, we have become more wealth-tech-focused than many traditional “pen, paper, and pinstripes” advisories. The rebrand helps reshape the wealth management landscape by integrating cutting-edge technology and timeless financial planning principles to offer comprehensive solutions for our clients.
You’ve emphasised a shift towards a more wealth-tech-focused model. How do you see technology reshaping the financial advisory industry, and what role will Hoxton Wealth play in this transformation?
Technology should enable and empower people who previously may not have had access to wealth management. Financial planning has historically been manual and clunky, but technology allows us to automate processes and deliver results to clients faster and in a more digestible way.
The Hoxton Wealth app provides users with free access to tools that help them centralise, visualise, and manage their finances. The app is available to individuals who aren’t even clients of Hoxton, and it’s supported by a team of 20 in-house developers. If you can buy a pizza on an app, you should be able to manage your finances with one too.
As we approach Q4 and look ahead to 2025, what key investment trends should investors be focusing on? Are there particular sectors or regions that offer the most opportunity?
The US and the Middle East are regions that offer the most opportunities. In terms of sectors, technology that makes tasks and lifestyles quicker or more efficient holds strong investment potential.
With rapid changes in the global economy, what should investors be wary of? Are there specific risks or market dynamics that could pose challenges in the coming months?
A fixed-income-style investment strategy is crucial, particularly with interest rates falling. Focus on fixed-income assets.
How does Hoxton Wealth leverage technology to help clients manage risks and make informed decisions? Can you share any examples of how your wealth-tech tools have benefited your clients?
A key feature of the Hoxton Wealth app is WealthFlow, which maps out how your wealth will develop over time. We recently helped a client retire five years earlier than they had expected with the help of this feature.
You’ve mentioned that Hoxton Wealth is increasingly integrating cutting-edge technology with traditional financial planning principles. How do you balance technology with the personal touch that clients often expect in financial advisory?
People expect to see their assets in real-time at their fingertips; they don’t want quarterly statements sent in the mail. What the Hoxton Wealth app doesn’t do, however, is replace the advice our clients receive from their advisors.
That said, the technology empowers both our advisors and our clients. There are real people behind the app. We have a team of 20 programmers and 70 advisors who are always available for our clients when they message us through Hoxton Wealth.
The launch of the Hoxton Wealth app is a significant step. Can you elaborate on its features and how it enhances the financial planning experience for clients? How has the app been received so far?
The first step for us is understanding what clients have, as you can’t map out a journey without knowing where you’re starting from. A key part of delivering a great client experience is understanding their goals and aspirations. Modelling tools enhance our advisors’ capabilities, but regular reviews are also essential. Our clients have been telling us how much they enjoy using the app, and it’s also making our advisors’ jobs easier.
Hoxton Wealth is still a relatively young business, but you have ambitious plans for the future. What are your key goals for the next few years, and where do you see Hoxton Wealth in the global financial landscape by 2030?
We’re six years old and have grown substantially in that time, but we’re only just getting started. By 2027, we aim to have $6.5bn in assets under management, increasing to $10bn by 2030.
