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Last month Atherton York entered our tenth year of business - where did that time go! With that milestone in mind, I allowed myself to step off the hamster wheel that is modern life, to reflect on achievements over these years.
During this time we have attracted over 430 clients to Atherton York and we are now responsible for managing over £154M of client money. We have grown our business despite the pandemic and opened a High Street office during the same time in a prime location. From day one, we have held and maintained the gold standard and mark of quality with the prestigious Chartered Financial Planners title. It has been a busy time…
However, my reflections concluded that our proudest achievement is the dedicated, talented and growing team that we have built at Atherton York. I thought that I would take this opportunity to introduce you to the team and talk a bit more about their skills and roles.
Darren Smith has been with Atherton York for over four years now and has achieved his PFS Level Four qualifications while working with us. A veteran of over 25 years with HSBC Bank, Darren completes Atherton York’s ‘checks and balances’ and quality measures. Darren is our Mr Reliable, and we joke that if he wasn’t working with us, he would probably be responsible for timekeeping in the German Railway service! With our support, Darren is currently studying for Advanced Financial Planning qualifications.
Jean-Michel Morelli is a talented Financial Planner who joined us after development roles at International and National businesses. Jean-Michel achieved Level Six (Advanced) Chartered status by the age of 29 years old – an impressive achievement. During his 18 months at Atherton York, Jean-Michel has built a growing and loyal bank of clients who have written him the most amazing feedback and client testimonials. Don’t just take my word for this, you can review his client feedback here.
Tom Gregory joined Atherton York earlier this year from the UK’s largest provider of Financial Advice. I am delighted that we are now in the position to attract new team members from larger employers. Tom is close to joining Jean-Michel and I as a Chartered Financial Planner and we are supporting him with his final two exams. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience and is the office half marathon record holder at an impressive 1h 19mins. (I don’t think any of us mere mortals will be breaking that in a hurry!)
Ellie Phillips joined Atherton York via the Government Kickstart programme with her background being outside professional services in retail and floristry. Having worked in Liberty in Central London, Ellie has many tales of service for the rich and famous! Ellie has equipped herself well into the firm and undertakes much of our client background activity. Considering that Ellie had no Financial Services experience, (or in fact, office experience) before joining us, she has demonstrated that she is a super-quick learner. I have high hopes for Ellie.
Giles Afeeva is out latest recruit, joining us just last month following completion of his degree in Business and Economics, for which he got a 2:1 – well done Giles. He is keen to build a career in professional services and will shortly commence his Financial Planning exams. I would estimate that these exams will take up to five years to fully complete to Chartered status. Giles is keen on travel and sport and follows Liverpool football club (every office needs one Man United or Liverpool supporter)!
Finally, we have the huge benefit of two part-time team members, who bring a set of different skills and backgrounds. We are fortunate that my wife Maria has some time to work with me on strategy and manage our communications, marketing and brand strategy. She also led in the design and renovation of our offices in Cockfosters and brings with her 25 years in professional services, mainly in the legal sector. Lizzie Deehan also works with us on a part-time basis and her professional services background provides invaluable and additional support to our team.
As a confident and growing business, we are always on the lookout for talented and ambitious people to step onboard and join our journey as we build for the future. If you aspire to work in a Chartered and dynamic workforce, do reach out and I would be pleased to have a conversation with you about what you be able to bring to the firm. No agencies please.
Here is to the next ten years…