UBS wealth manager prepares to expand Yorkshire operation

In an exclusive interview, Richard Bottomley, who is overseeing the office’s development, said the new Leeds office of UBS should have eight staff by the end of the year.

Mr Bottomley, who is a former senior partner with KPMG, said: “We will probably increase staff levels by another 50 per cent in the next two years.”

He said there was a lot of “old money” in Yorkshire, and UBS was also very interested in developing relationships with new entrepreneurial businesses.

UBS yesterday revealed that it had added two client adviser assistants to its wealth management team in Yorkshire.

Lisa Helliwell and Sunjeet Kalsi have worked for some of the biggest names in the financial services sector.

A spokesman for UBS said: “These appointments represent further investment in the new Yorkshire service, building upon the area’s strong potential for growth. The service offers high net worth individuals and trustees a complete range of tailored advice including UK and global investment services.”

Ms Helliwell and Ms Kalsi will work alongside UBS Wealth Management’s advisers, Neil King, Claire Kerr, Karen Vardy and James Copeland.

Ms Helliwell has worked for the last decade in similar support positions with the Yorkshire operations of the Bank of Ireland, Anglo Irish and RBS.

Ms Kalsi moves to Yorkshire from London, where she has spent the last five years working in foreign exchange with Raphaels Bank, in Piccadilly.

Jonathan Brown, the head of the UK Regional Business, said: “I am delighted to welcome Lisa and Sunjeet, their knowledge and experience will enable us to provide a first class service to our clients and further strengthen the Yorkshire team.”

UBS is one of the biggest global wealth managers. It manages assets of more than $1 trillion worldwide.

The Yorkshire operation becomes UBS’s sixth UK office, alongside London and teams in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham.