Wealth management firm Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc. announced today that it has successfully completed its initial public offering of 7.2 million subordinate voting shares by way of secondary offering priced at $18.50 per share, for gross proceeds to the selling shareholders of $133.2 million.

Gluskin Sheff said it will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the subordinate voting shares held by the selling shareholders.

The offering was underwritten by a syndicate of underwriters that was co-led by RBC Dominion Securities Inc. and TD Securities Inc.

The underwriters have been granted an over-allotment option, exercisable for a 30-day period following the closing, to purchase from the Company up to an additional 720,000 subordinate voting shares at the initial public offering price. If the over-allotment option is exercised, Gluskin Sheff intends to use the net proceeds to facilitate the growth of its business and for general corporate purposes.

“Going public enhances the future continuity and stability of the company and provides the opportunity for investors to participate with us as we work to build upon our strong long-term track record of investment performance and growth”, said Gerald Sheff, Gluskin Sheff’s chairman and CEO, in a news release. “A public platform will also enhance the company’s ability to continue to build on one of Canada’s most experienced and proven teams in the private client wealth management business.”

The company has two classes of equity shares, subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares. The multiple voting shares are identical to the subordinate voting shares, except with respect to voting power and conversion rights. Each subordinate voting share is entitled to one vote and each multiple voting share is entitled to 15 votes on all matters other than the election of directors. The holders of the multiple voting shares are entitled to elect two-thirds of the directors.

The subordinate voting shares will begin trading today on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “GS”.

Assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option, the company’s outstanding equity shares consist of 7.6 million subordinate voting shares and 21,600,000 multiple voting shares. The selling shareholders continue to hold in the aggregate 100% of the multiple voting shares of the company representing 97.7% of the votes entitled to be cast at a shareholders’ meeting. The selling shareholders hold none of the subordinate voting shares.

As one of the fastest growing private client investment management firms in Canada, Gluskin Sheff currently has approximately $3.75 billion in paying assets under management. Since its inception in 1984, assets under management have grown at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 26%.