In May 2002, Lesley Hohne and Graydon Morris, together with a third partner, left the corporate world of Alexander Forbes to build something of their own. They had spent years inside one of the most established names in the industry, learning the craft, serving clients, and understanding the responsibility that comes with financial advice.

But over time, they saw something that troubled them.

The relationship between advisor and client was becoming less personal. People with deeply individual hopes, fears, responsibilities, and dreams were too often being treated as entries in a system – processed, categorised, and managed at scale.

Lesley and Graydon believed wealth advice should feel different.

They believed a client’s financial life should never be reduced to a file, a number, or a product. It should be understood in full: the family behind it, the business behind it, the life behind it, and the future it is meant to protect.

So they left.

And they built Precept Wealth Solutions.

Those early years shaped everything that followed. In 2005, Joubert Strydom joined Precept as a wealth manager, bringing not only expertise, but a shared conviction that good advice begins with listening. A year later, in 2006, James Guimaraens joined the team, adding further depth, care, and capability to a growing practice built around trust.

As the business matured, so did its vision.

In 2008, Sterling Private Wealth was established, marking the beginning of a new chapter. Joubert joined as a shareholder in the new business — a natural reflection of the trust, alignment, and shared purpose that had been built over the years.

The name Sterling was chosen deliberately.

It speaks of quality without compromise. Of worth. Of something that holds its value over time.

Private Wealth says just as much. Because to us, wealth is not simply financial. It is personal. It is private. It is connected to family, legacy, responsibility, independence, and peace of mind.

Your financial life is not a category.

It is yours alone.

And it deserves to be treated that way.

In 2009, Russell Gibson joined Sterling as a wealth manager, completing the core of the team. In time, both James and Russell became shareholders in the business — a natural progression that reflected their commitment to Sterling’s values, its clients, and its future.

Through every stage of growth, the heart of the business remained the same.

Integrity.

Not as a word on a wall, but as the lens through which every conversation is held, every recommendation is made, and every relationship is built.

In late 2025, Joubert Strydom retired after more than two decades of dedicated service — first at Precept, and later as a founding shareholder of Sterling. His contribution to the culture and character of the business is woven deeply into who we are today. His care for clients, his steadiness, and his commitment to doing things properly remain part of Sterling’s foundation.

More than twenty years after that first decision to step away from the corporate world, Sterling has grown into a team of partners, advisors, and dedicated support staff.

Our business has evolved.

The world has changed.

Clients’ lives have become more complex.

But the belief behind Sterling has never changed.

We are here to walk the journey with our clients — personally, carefully, and with integrity.

Because wealth is never just about money.

It is about the life behind it.