With much of his time spent advising clients, Chris oversees the smooth running of the business. He also chairs our investment committee, which is responsible for selecting and monitoring the funds that we invest in on our clients’ behalf. As our longest serving member of staff, he champions the investment principles that we founded our company on and makes sure that we continue to uphold them.

Chris joined us in 1998 and has 22 years experience in the industry.

He began his career with the fund management monitoring team at Skandia Life and later joined Frank Russell, a global specialist in investment consultancy and ‘managing the investment managers’. Looking after the pension funds of large multinationals, it was here that he honed his strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) in Financial Services, Chartered Financial Planner, Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, Associate of the Personal Finance Society, Investment Management Certificate

Derek is a Chartered Financial Planner with specialist qualifications in taxation, trusts, pensions and retirement options. With a modest, self-effacing manner, his expert financial advice is always clear and straightforward and he speaks extensively at seminars for both industry professionals and private individuals.

Derek joined us in 2001 and has 26 years experience in the industry.

He has advised a wide range of private and corporate clients during his career. Having played for Scotland’s international rugby union team for 10 years and toured Australia with The British and Irish Lions, his clients also include many well-known sports personalities.

Qualifications

Chartered Financial Planner, Member of the Personal Finance Society and the Chartered Insurance Institute

Specialising in investment, inheritance tax and retirement planning, Tony helps clients maximise their income and investment returns, and minimise all three taxes. He works with private clients and trustees, and advises solicitors on their trustee obligations as well as on care fees funding packages.

Tony joined us in 2004 and has 26 years experience in the industry.

Entering the financial services industry in 1991 after four years as an army aircraft engineer, Tony is now a Chartered Financial Planner and his professional expertise helps clients secure sound financial outcomes for them and their families.

Qualifications

Chartered Financial Planner, Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning, Associate of the Personal Finance Society, Certificate in Lifetime Mortgage Activities, Certificate in Long Term Care Insurance

Specialising in estate planning, pensions and investments, Jonathan works primarily with private clients and sits on the Investment Committee, contributing to the investment process.

Jonathan joined us in 2017 and has 19 years experience in the industry.

Initially a tied adviser with Abbey Life, Jonathan has worked extensively in investment markets with roles encompassing stockbroking, derivatives trading and as Head of Trading. Jonathan seeks to take full advantage of tax breaks and financial opportunities on behalf of his client base, whilst maximising their potential investment returns.

Qualifications

Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, CISI Level 6 Certificate in Private Client Investment Advice & Management & PCIAM Gap-Fill covering Financial Services, Regulations & Ethics, Investment Principles & Risk/Securities, Personal Tax Derivatives & Pension/Retirement Planning, Securities and Investment Institute Level 3 Certificate in Investments, Statement of Professional Standing

Phil oversees the recommendation documents that we produce for clients and is responsible for monitoring all of our activities to ensure continued compliance with industry regulations.

Phil joined us in 2010 and has 17 years experience in the industry.

He began his career within the pension administration department at Old Mutual then joined Origen (formerly Aon Consulting) and moved into the independent financial advice arena. With roles including administration, technical and advisory, and specialising in pensions, he went on to hold advisory positions with two start-up firms.

Qualifications

Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Finance Society

Richard is responsible for the production of client reports as well as providing technical support to our financial advisers. He also looks after all of our IT systems, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Richard joined us in 2002 and has 21 years experience in the industry.

His career began in the market research department at Skandia Life, where he provided data support for the UK sales force and company directors. He then moved to Scottish Value Marketing, the marketing arm of fund management group SVM Asset Management, where he worked closely with the investment sales team.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) in Financial Services

Sarah is responsible for the production of client reports and she provides technical support to our financial advisers. She is currently working towards completing the Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning.

Sarah joined us in 2013 and has 7 years experience in the industry.

With wide knowledge of financial services, investments and pensions, Sarah began her career as an administrator at Lloyds TSB Private Banking then moved on to Grant Thornton UK LLP before joining us.

Qualifications

Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning, Advanced Diploma unit in Pension Planning, Certificate in Financial Planning, Certificate in Mortgage Advice

After graduating from the University of Winchester, Emma joined us as part of the administration team. She has since moved into a trainee financial planner role, where she is responsible for the production of clients’ pension and investment reports.

Emma joined us in 2015 and has nearly 2 years experience in the industry.

She is currently studying for a Certificate in Financial Planning.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) in Business Management

Austen is responsible for the research, analysis and management of our investment portfolios. He is also deputy chair of our investment committee, with his role spanning researching funds, meeting portfolio managers, developing new investment ideas and implementing company procedures for research and analysis.

Austen joined us in 2007 and has 11 years experience in the industry.

He began his career in the international division at Towry Law, one of the largest wealth advisory firms in the UK. Since joining us, he has become a well-known and respected analyst within the industry and was voted into Citywire’s Class of 2013 Top 30 Under 30 by his peers.

Qualifications

BSc (SocSci) (Hons) in Economics and Finance, Investment Management Certificate, Certificate in Securities (Retail), Investment Advice Diploma

Mark co-ordinates all processes relating to fund switches to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for clients. He is also responsible for the production of fund reviews and performance comparisons.

Mark joined us in 2011 and has 6 years experience in the industry.

He began his investment career with us but has had a keen interest in investments from a young age, including managing his own portfolio when he became old enough to invest in a Stocks and Shares ISA. He is currently studying for the Investment Management Certificate.

Qualifications

MSc in International Management and Marketing, BSc in Business and Management, Certificate in Financial Planning

Dianne is responsible for the smooth running of the administration team and our administration procedures, and provides invaluable support to our management team.

Dianne joined us in 2006 and has 17 years experience in the industry.

Dianne started her career as an administrator for a large national life assurance company. She then worked for a firm of financial advisers before becoming branch manager for a building society where she advised on mortgages and non-regulated products.

Qualifications

Certificates in Life & Pensions

Samantha is part of the administration team, with her role including managing processes for new clients and providing on-going support to our existing clients.

Samantha joined us in 2014 and has 9 years experience in the industry.

She started her career in financial services at Premier Asset Management in Guildford then moved on to an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) company in Fleet, where she provided administrative support to three chartered financial advisers.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) in Sociology, Certificates in Investment Administration; Investment & Risk; and Pensions & Retirement Planning

Margaret is responsible for organising our seminars and arranging meetings for clients. She also ensures that our databases are up to date, manages production of our company literature and looks after our building and facilities.

Margaret joined us in 2005 and has 11 years experience in the industry.

Her varied career includes working for a chain of bookshops and setting up a new department and helpline for an electronics company. She also spent a number of years working as agent liaison for an English language school, arranging courses for foreign students and travelling in Europe and the Far East.

Qualifications

Certificate in Financial Services

Hannah is responsible for looking after our new and existing clients, ensuring that they have a consistent point of contact and continuous support with their portfolios.

Hannah joined us in 2015 and has 2 years experience in the industry.

After graduating from the University of Surrey, Hannah began working in the finance department for an international private medical insurance company in Farnham. She then came to work with us after deciding to focus on a career in financial services.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) in English Literature

Amy is part of our administration team, with her role including managing processes for new clients and providing on-going support to our existing clients.

Amy joined us in 2015 and has 14 years experience in the industry.

She began her career in the financial sector in the rights and royalties department of Cengage Learning, an academic and professional publishing firm. She then spent two years working as a contractor for Lloyds Banking Group, mainly dealing with customer complaints to the Financial Ombudsman.

Emma is part of our administration team, with her role including managing processes for new clients and providing on-going support to our existing clients.

Emma joined us in 2016 and has 3 years experience in the industry.

Emma started her career in financial services working for a general insurer within their administration team then moved into a claims role. She went on to spend four years in New Zealand working for a large accounting/advisory firm supporting a team of risk advisors before returning to the UK.

Qualifications

BA (Hons) in English Language and Linguistics

Rachel is part of our administration team, with her role including managing processes for new clients and providing on-going support to our existing clients.

Rachel joined us in 2016 and has 2 years experience in the industry.

After completing her Masters degree, she spent six months in Moscow working privately for a high net-worth family. Back in the UK, she joined global investment firm Cambridge Associates in London, where she was personal assistant to the directors and managing director of the investment research department.

Qualifications

MA in Writing and BA (Hons) in English and American Literature