The CEO has been at the business since 2003 and in the post since 2019.

Aberdeen Adviser, the £80.4 billion ($106.9 billion) firm – as at end-2025 – and part of the UK’s Aberdeen Group, announced yesterday that it is starting its search for a new CEO. The current holder of the post, Noel Butwell (main picture), has decided to step down in the coming months, ending a 23-year career at the UK business.

Butwell has been at Aberdeen Adviser since 2003. He became the CEO when it was established as a separate business in 2019.

“I was involved when we first launched our Wrap platform 20 years ago. Building [it] and growing to a market-leading position was incredibly exciting. Over that time, consumer needs and expectations have evolved rapidly, the IFA market is consolidating, and we continue to experience a profound shift in technology as it plays an ever-bigger part in what we do,” Butwell said in a statement. “Having spent more than two decades helping the business grow and adapt for the next generation, I have decided now is the right time for me to move on.”

“I would like to thank my senior leadership team and all my Aberdeen Adviser colleagues, who I have had the privilege of leading,” he said. 

Aberdeen Group chief executive said: “Since I started working with Noel, I have seen him and his team overhaul our platform technology, improve service levels, strengthen our proposition and put the business on a more competitive footing. That work has been critical – giving us the platform we need to compete and grow.”

The firm said its search for a new CEO is “advanced” and it will update the markets shortly about the outcome. Butwell will continue to lead the business to ensure a smooth transition until the handover is complete, it added.

Aberdeen Group had £556 billion of assets under management and administration at the end of December 2025. It operates in a number of jurisdictions besides the UK, such as Singapore.