Livingbridge announces sale of Broadstone

Livingbridge has agreed the sale of Broadstone, an independent provider of specialist pensions, trustee, and employee benefits solutions

The investment was originally made from the Livingbridge 5 fund, and Broadstone will be acquired by ICG^[1].

Founded within BDO Stoy Hayward in 1989, Broadstone offers coordinated, end-to-end pensions, trustee, and employee benefits solutions to SMEs and large corporates – helping them to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape and evolving employee demands.

Livingbridge first invested in Broadstone in 2016, having identified the potential to build a mid-market leader of scale in the highly fragmented pensions and employee benefits sector.  Having recruited Chair, Tony Solway, and with the experienced management team led by Grant Stobart and Nick Jones as CEO and CFO respectively, Livingbridge executed an ambitious buy and build strategy, which included the acquisitions of Mitchell Consulting and 20-20 Trustees in 2017, followed by CS Financial Services, Thomson Dickson Consulting, BBS Consultants and Actuaries, 3HR Benefits Consultancy in 2019, and Steve Southern Trustees in 2020.  Livingbridge also invested significantly in Broadstone’s technology infrastructure to drive its operational efficiency and improve client service levels.

Broadstone’s 400-employee-strong workforce now manages over 1,500 clients across three service lines, operating from nine offices across the UK. It has seen significant revenue growth in recent years, driven by existing client and new business developments, with a CAGR of 47% since FY2018.  Despite COVID-19 lockdowns, Broadstone has maintained its strong financial performance and client service levels.

Broadstone’s success has attracted industry recognition through winning numerous awards across all service lines, which includes 20-20 Trustees most recently winning Team of the Year at Professional Pensions Rising Star Awards.

Xavier Woodward at Livingbridge, said: “We are thrilled with Broadstone’s achievements over the past four years, during which time we have led a transformational growth strategy to create a leading force in the employee benefits sector.  Our thanks go to the Broadstone management team who have not only executed the M&A to perfection, but grown the platform organically to fulfil the business’s potential.  We wish the team every success with their new partners.”

Grant Stobart, CEO of Broadstone, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with the Livingbridge team over this period, during which we have built a business of scale with a strong industry profile, and a reputation for outstanding customer service.  We look forward to a bright future with ICG as we continue the development of Broadstone and 20-20 Trustees during the next stage of their growth.”

The principal advisers on this exit for Livingbridge included Deloitte Corporate Finance and Debt Advisory, LEK on Commercial Diligence, Deloitte on Financial Diligence, and Eversheds on Legal.

---

^{[1] Subject to FCA approval.}