St James's Place managing director Ian Gascoigne is to retire on 31 March, the partnership has announced.

Gascoigne was with the wealth manager for more than 30 years as an executive and has spent the last 19 as a board director.

He will remain with the group on a part-time basis in an advisory capacity and will also continue to serve as a trustee of the St. James's Place Charitable Foundation.

Following Gascoigne's retirement, Peter Edwards will continue to be responsible for the UK partnership and Iain Rayner will remain responsible for key relationships with the partnership's largest businesses and the Asian operations. Both will then report directly to chief executive Andrew Croft. 

Gascoigne said: "Since joining what was a start-up company in 1991, I am delighted to have played a small part in helping to build St. James's Place into the established FTSE 100 company it is today. I would like to thank everyone in our community for making my 30 years so enjoyable and rewarding. I am pleased to say the group is in excellent shape to take advantage of the opportunities ahead and I look forward to continuing the association in an advisory capacity."

 Croft added: "I would like to thank Ian personally for his exceptional contribution to St. James's Place over three decades since the business was founded.

"I am delighted that he has accepted our invitation to remain with the group on a part time basis in an advisory role and we look forward to continuing to work with him and benefit from his experience and insights."