Former Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) CIO Lee Gardhouse (pictured) has launched a new wealth management firm called Moai Wealth.
Gardhouse, who left HL in 2023, is being joined at the firm by Jessica Miller, formerly head of product and proposition at Schroders Personal Wealth, and Adam Lambert, an investment quant analyst at HL.
Moai Wealth, which is inspired by a concept from Okinawa, Japan, where small groups come together to support one another financially and socially through life, has announced its official launch, marked by the strategic acquisition of MICL Limited, a specialist investment management firm founded by Jonathan Lowe.
Lowe, who retains the role of investment adviser at the new firm, will be part of a team which also includes Saffron Gannon, operations specialist, and Sian Thomas, investment adviser. Miller has taken the role of managing director, and Lambert is an investment specialist.
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Before leaving, Gardhouse worked at HL for 28 years. Having joined in 1995, he became investment director in 2006, taking charge of the firm’s multi-manager funds and Portfolio Management Service. He was made the firm’s CIO in 2016.
“The aim is to create safe environments where like-minded individuals can ask questions, share knowledge, and navigate financial decisions,” said Gardhouse, CIO at Moai Wealth.
Gardhouse said Moai’s approach is built on the power of shared wisdom, underpinned by institutional grade discipline, to build bespoke discretionary investment portfolios, with a ‘highly personalised’ service for clients.
“I’m thrilled to have received regulatory approval to launch Moai Wealth,” he added. “I’m joined by an experienced team, with a passion for client service and investment, and we’re excited about working together to build something special.
“Building this business has been an incredible journey, and I have been overwhelmed by the encouragement and support from friends, colleagues and the wider Bristol business community. There’s something special about how businesses in the South West collaborate.”
