Close Brothers Group plc is a UK-based merchant banking group with origins dating back to 1878, when William Brooks Close established the firm in London. Today, the group operates as a diversified financial services provider, combining lending, deposit taking, wealth management and securities trading to serve corporate, professional and retail clients. The company’s long history has seen it evolve from a regional trading bank into a widely recognized mid-market specialist in credit and financial advisory services.
The group’s principal activities are organized into four complementary divisions. Asset Finance offers bespoke equipment and motor finance solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises, while Commercial Lending provides invoice finance, asset-based lending and term loans to businesses across the UK and Ireland. Wealth Management delivers investment management, financial planning and trustee services to private clients and family offices, and Securities comprises institutional equities trading, market making and corporate broking services. Close Brothers also operates a retail consumer finance arm, providing point-of-sale loans and savings products through partner networks.
Close Brothers maintains a footprint primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with selected continental European operations in equipment finance. The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Adrian Sainsbury, who joined the board in 2019 and took on the CEO role in April 2022. Vindi Banga serves as chairman, bringing extensive international experience to the boardroom. Under their leadership, the group continues to focus on disciplined credit risk management, client-focused product innovation and steady growth in core markets, while maintaining the capital strength and governance standards expected of a listed financial institution.
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