Our Boardwalk Boardroom. The Artorius story - so far
Most wealth managers wouldn’t dream of bragging about their ties to a raucous underground music scene - but then again, Artorius isn’t most wealth managers. Our Manchester headquarters, The Boardwalk, once pulsed with the energy of the city’s greatest musical upstarts who cranked their amps and made history between these very walls.
Certainly, the thumping bass has given way to balance sheets, and the all-night raves have been swapped for strategy sessions, but we like to think some of that boundary-pushing creative spirit still fuels what we do. After all, great music and great wealth management have something in common: Like a timeless hit record, the best financial strategies are built to last - crafted with creativity, bold thinking, and just the right amount of risk.
Artorius is celebrating ten years in business, and it’s only fitting that we mark the milestone by paying tribute to our original Manchester roots - though I hasten to add that we are equally proud of our Covent Garden-based London headquarters. But our Manchester home, The Boardwalk, has a particular history of nurturing talent and ambition, something we believe in just as strongly when it comes to how we build our team and work with our clients.
Originally built in 1876 as a Sunday school, The Boardwalk became a launchpad for some of the UK’s biggest musical icons between 1984 and 1999. It was here in this building that Noel Gallagher is rumoured to have first asked Liam to start a band, and where they played their first gig. It’s where The Stone Roses and The Charlatans fine-tuned their sound. DJ Dave Haslam’s legendary club night ‘Yellow’ filled the space with deep grooves and new ideas. Today, we like to think that the building is still helping pioneers achieve their dreams - just in a slightly more sedate way.
Ten years of creativity and client-first thinking
To celebrate our anniversary and honour this legacy, we commissioned a bespoke mural in our headquarters, designed and created by local artist Ed Meziani. The artwork brings together the people and places that have made Manchester’s music scene unforgettable. You’ll spot Shaun Ryder and Bez from Happy Mondays, Tim Burgess from The Charlatans, and DJ Dave Haslam—figures who shaped the city’s creative identity. In the left side of the building, overlooking the area where he once lived, stands Tony Wilson, co-founder of Factory Records and the visionary behind the Haçienda nightclub. Wilson was instrumental in launching the careers of bands like Joy Division, New Order, Durutti Column and others. His influence defined the ‘Madchester’ scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, leaving a lasting cultural legacy.
But it’s not just about music legends. The mural also features Manchester’s architectural icons: the Beetham Tower, Manchester Central, The Midland Hotel, and even some of the Artorius team’s favourite local spots like Mancoco coffee shop and Atlas Bar. It’s a reminder that creativity, resilience, and independent thinking aren’t just part of Manchester’s past, they’re key to its future, too.
The aim is for our mural to capture the essence of what makes Manchester special: the blend of heritage and innovation, the ambition of its people, and the ability to turn raw potential into lasting impact.
Wealth management with a creative flair
We get it - wealth management doesn’t have a particularly rock ‘n’ roll reputation. But in its own way, it’s an art. Like music, it requires expertise, technical knowledge, intuition, and the ability to adapt. The Gallagher brothers might have conquered the world, but their journey wasn’t without its challenges - family disputes, financial uncertainty, the pressures of fame. A skilled wealth manager could have helped them navigate that chaos, ensuring their success translated into long-term security.
That’s exactly what we do for our clients - whether they’re creatives, entrepreneurs, or business leaders. They come to us for tailored financial strategies that fit their unique journeys, helping them turn ambitions into lasting legacies. It’s not just about numbers on a balance sheet - it’s about protecting what matters most, making the right moves at the right time, and staying true to a long-term vision.
Like many of Manchester’s greatest bands, Artorius started small, gained momentum, and earned recognition. Today, we manage £1.8 billion in client assets with revenue approaching circa £10 million. The key to our robust but sustainable growth is, I believe, the strong degree of alignment between all our stakeholders. This is because we are owned by our clients and team members. We’re not chasing sky-high assets under management at the expense of client service, only to flip the business to the highest bidder. Instead, we’re playing the long game - building something sustainable, something that delivers real, lasting value.
We’re rooted in timeless principles - independence, long-term thinking, and an unwavering commitment to quality service. But let’s be honest, we also want to be, well, a little bit cool. Because who says a wealth manager can’t have substance and style?
And let’s be clear: this isn’t just about image. Our edge also comes from our investment performance[1]. Though past performance is no guide to future returns and, as the past few weeks have amply demonstrated, markets can be volatile and unpredictable, we’re still proud of our 10-year return figures.
Over the 10 years to the end of 2024, our core investment portfolios outperformed Asset Risk Consultants (ARC) industry benchmarks[2], ARC being the organisation that aggregates portfolio performance data from across the world of private client wealth management. Net of fees[3], our riskiest portfolio returned 124.5 percent over this ten-year period, exceeding the 78.7 percent average from the peer group, while our balanced portfolio delivered 66.9 percent, above its ARC average equivalent (44.3 percent).
Our success hasn’t gone unnoticed. At the 2025 WealthBriefing European Awards, we were named:
Best Specialist Wealth Manager with Assets Under Management up to £2 billion (for the fourth year running)
Multi-Family Office Between £1-3 Billion Assets Under Management (for the third year in a row)
These accolades reflect our commitment to excellence, innovation, and putting our clients first. We’ve spent the last decade proving that an independent, client-centric approach can achieve positive outcomes for our clients, and we’re only just getting started.
Encore: our next chapter
As we step into our second decade, we remain committed to evolving and expanding. With strong bases in Manchester and London, we’re set for continued growth.
We’re also dedicated to the next generation. Through our financial education programme, we help the children of our family office clients build the knowledge and confidence they need to make smart financial decisions.
We know that the world of wealth management is changing. Clients today expect more than just financial expertise - they want a partner who understands their ambitions, their values, and the legacy they want to create. That’s why we continue to push boundaries, embracing new ideas and staying ahead of industry trends to deliver the best possible service.
As we turn up the volume for our next ten years, we’re staying committed to creativity, excellence, and delivering encore-worthy results for our clients.
We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of our clients, colleagues, and partners.
Just as Manchester’s music legends built something that lasted, we’re focused on helping our clients do the same.
Thank you for being part of our journey - here’s to the next chapter.
[1] Past performance figures are based on the Asset Allocation for the model portfolio for portfolios exceeding £1m and actual client performance may differ. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. When investing, capital is at risk and you may not get back your original investment amount. Data shown is for the 10 years that Artorius portfolios have been managed, starting 1st Jan 2015 to 31st Dec 2024. Source: Bloomberg, ARC, Artorius. Full past performance details are available for the whole period, on request.
[2] Artorius performance is quoted net of the Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) of the underlying investments and Artorius advice & discretionary investment management fees of 1% + VAT per annum. Performance figures do not include platform fees or transaction charges.
[3] Asset Risk Consultants (ARC) Private Client Indices (PCI) are created from a dataset of actual client returns provided to ARC, an independent company, by a number of investment managers. This allows direct comparison to the peer group within a specified category based on volatility and returns; the asset allocations of the portfolios being compared will differ. Performance is net of fees.
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