The 2022 PAM Top 40 Under 40 is based on PAM Insight's experience and knowledge of who is rising to the top quickly, and why.
An open call is made for nominations to allow readers to suggest those rising stars they feel should make the list.
Factors taken into account included the reputation or performance of the company that the nominee works for, feedback from senior executives, trajectory of promotion/business development success and relative age, and active involvement in promoting good organisational culture.
Constituents are listed alphabetically by surname – use the ctrl+f function to search for a particular name or firm.
If you have questions about this initiative, please contact thewealthnet’s associate editor Katie Royals on kroyals@paminsight.com.
Nick Atkinson (38)
Senior director, EFG Private Bank
A regular feature in the PAM Top 40 Under 40, Nick had another remarkably successful year in 2021, delivering over £440 million of AUM, securing his position as one of the top performing net new asset contributors at the bank. His net contribution to the business has increased by 47 percent year on year, which, his nominator says is “no accident”.
Nick’s clients are amongst the firm’s largest accounts and cover a diverse client base of trusts, charitable foundations, ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices.
He holds the CISI level 6 Certificate in Private Client Investment Advice & Management and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
His nominator said: “'Nick’s performance goes from strength to strength. Being the very essence of a modern Client Relationship Officer, his consistent performance is not an accident. he is proactive, adaptable and highly knowledgeable, as his performance and growing client base proves.
Freddy Barker (38)
Head of change, Charles Stanley
Freddy is somewhat of a Mr Fix-it at Charles Stanley. He holds three positions at the firm: head of change; interim head of marketing, PR and comms; and executive committee member.
As head of change, Freddy oversees the prioritisation and delivery of complex cross-functional projects at Charles Stanley.
His nominator said: “Across 4 years, I have seen a material improvement in his team, with an impressive number of complex projects delivered via remote working in 2021, all geared towards either strengthening our holistic wealth management proposition or enhancing client experience.
Freddy is a Chartered Manager and a Chartered Wealth Manager. He is also a former chairman of the CISI’s Wealth Management Forum which is one of the largest special interest groups in UK wealth management with 7,500 members.
Ben Barnaby (31)
Client partner, Artorius Wealth
Ben has spent fourteen years working in financial services initially in the North East for HSBC Bank and Barclays Wealth and then latterly in the North West for Coutts & Co. He has been with Artorius for two years.
Ben is a Chartered financial planner and fellow of the personal finance society, as well as chartered wealth manager with the chartered institute for securities and investment.
His nominator says: “Ben is able to articulate complex planning and structuring into terms which the clients fully understand, providing them with the confidence that their requirements are being met.
“Ben has a wonderful manner with clients, putting them at ease and allowing him to build strong and trusting relationships. He is wise beyond his years and is able to adapt his approach depending upon the clients he is dealing with.”
James (Jim) Barrett (37)
Managing director and senior adviser, Julius Baer
Jim’s outstanding level of service to clients has seen him consistently grow his AUM, and he was the firm’s top net new money producer in 2021. This – along with his other contributions to the firm’s working culture – earned him a promotion to managing director senior adviser this year.
His nominator said: “Jim’s overall contribution to the UK office is also commendable. He speaks regularly in team strategy meetings, is well regarded by peers and also mentors a number of relationship managers and aspiring relationship managers by organising and co-hosting a prospecting series”
Over the summer of 2021, Jim also championed and supported an eight week internship for two students from the Social Mobility Foundation, a program that was very successful and helped students impacted by Covid-19.
Bharat Basra (29)
Partner, Hassium
Bharat has headed up the investment team at Hassium for the last three years, and has been consistently been delivering top quartile performance.
He re-joined Hassium in 2018 as a portfolio manager having left as a senior analyst in 2016. In the interim Bharat spent two years as an investment associate at Cambridge Associates, working on behalf of large corporate clients - specifically pensions & endowment funds -across Europe. He holds a BSc in Economics from Royal Holloway University of London.
Bharat’s nominator says: “Hassium is lucky to have Bharat on board and we continue to grow due to his hard work and dedication. In addition to delivering key investment decisions for existing clients, he also participates in new client pitches.
“Bharat is a shining star but is one who shares the spotlight and is the first to recognize "the team" in our success,” the nominator added.
Kate Boswell (38)
Partner – wealth manager, Stonehage Fleming
Kate joined as a director at Stonehage Fleming Wealth Management in 2019 and was promoted to partner in June 202l, making her one of the youngest female partners in the group.
During her time at Stonehage Fleming, she has proven her ability to win and look after the most complex of clients, working with them and their families on all aspects of their financial affairs, from setting strategy to technical implementation.
Kate combines technical expertise with practical experience to guide her clients through their wealth planning, drawing on her knowledge of complex structuring, to basic financial planning to philanthropy.
Her nominator said: “Kate’s little black book is extensive and one of the advantages to her clients is that if she can’t deliver the solution to them personally, or using Group resources, she is likely to know someone who can.
“Equally, she sees value in connecting clients who have similar interests and backgrounds, creating a network amongst her clients, with real mutual benefit.”
Michael Boyd, (40)
Head of investment management UK, Brown Shipley
Michael joined Brown Shipley in 2013 as a senior client manager, advising clients and managing discretionary portfolios. In 2021, he was promoted to head of investment management UK, with responsibility for overseeing a team of portfolio managers and model portfolio construction.
Over the last two years, his team has grown from 4 to 14 whilst the AUM of discretionary portfolios managed has grown from £400 million to over £4 billion, with further material growth in AUM expected in 2022.
His nominator says: “Throughout 2021 and led by Michael, the investment management team has been key in driving the evolution of the investment strategy to a more global and sustainable approach.
“Further to this, Michael has spent time improving governance and oversight of the team in the UK, as well as improving local processes to ensure greater consistency within client portfolios as the team and AUM grows.”
Megan Brennan
Portfolio manager, Sarasin and Partners
Megan is a highly regarded fund manager for the multi asset target return fund franchise and the Sarasin Global Equity Real Return funds.
One of the younger nominees in the PAM 40 under 40, She spent 4 years at Coutts & Co working as an assistant fund manager for the Coutts Multi Asset Fund prior to joining Sarasin.
Megan is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a degree in Business, Economics & Social Studies. She also holds the Private Client Investment Advice and Management certificate (PCIAM) as well as the Investment Advice Diploma (IAD) and is a CFA Charter holder.
Lydia Brook (29)
Senior investment manager, Arbuthnot Latham
Lydia joined Arbuthnot Latham just over a year ago, and has already been promoted to senior investment manager.
She has recently launched a brand new ESG investment service with the investment management proposition, a feat which her nominator called “a significant achievement”.
“The fund has performed extremely well since inception and demonstrates Lydia's understanding of the market,” her nominator added.
She has recently transferred to the Manchester office, becoming the first investment manager to work outside of the London head office. So far, she has been instrumental in building and promoting the investment profile of the business in the North West.
Alexandra Buchan-Heelas (34)
Team head, portfolio manager, Waverton Investment Management
Alexandra - recently promoted to the role of director - is now also heading up one of the private client teams within the business. She currently looks after £300 million of client assets.
Alexandra joined Waverton in 2013 to manage portfolios for a wide range of clients, the majority of whom have offshore assets.
Alexandra graduated from the University of Durham with a degree in history and holds the Chartered Wealth Manager Qualification as well as the STEP Advanced Certificate in UK Tax for International Clients.
Her nominator said: “In a year where Alexandra has returned from maternity leave, she has continued to win new International clients for Waverton.”
Alexandra is also in the process of setting up an organisation called ‘Women Who Work’ which aims to encourage and support women in professional services as they return from maternity leave through networking and mentorship.
James Close Smith (39)
Senior private banker, Citi Private Bank
A senior private banker at Citi Private Bank, James has consistently delivered to his clients and won a number of meaningful mandates in the last few years.
He is considered a role model by his peers and act as a mentor for number of our junior talent.
James manages approximately 25 clients and has consistently grown wallet share and now manages a very meaningful size book. His clients, through the bank;s annual Voice of the Client survey, continue to rate him highly which is reflected in the number of client referrals he receives each year.
Last year, he was responsible for our four PAM Award Submissions, each was a finalist and Citi Private Bank won the award for UNHW Total Wealth Solution Provider, due to his commitment to put together the teams submission.
Paul Dixey (35)
Investment manager, Vermeer Partners
Paul works in a team managing £300 million of discretionary investment portfolios on behalf of individuals, charities and trusts. One of his biggest achievements this year was launching Vermeer Partners’ fortnightly podcast series ‘The Art of Investment’ – which he devised as a response to lockdowns and as a way of supporting investment education. As the host, Paul interviews prominent figures in the investment and business world.
Paul is also a member of the equities and strategies committee and researches the financial sector on behalf of the research team.
An ex-professional cricketer himself, Paul is a Trustee of Milestone – a charity that seeks to normalise the conversation around mental health through a sporting medium.
John Edmeads (39)
Head of advice, Close Brothers Asset Management
Following the retirement of Andy Cumming in 2021, John was appointed to his current position as head of advice.
Having joined CBAM initially to run the telephone advice service for mass affluent clients, John moved to a commercial strategy role, assisting Andy in the smooth running of the CBAM Advice business.
He has been involved with CBAM's recent acquisition of PMN.
Before joining CBAM, John held a strategy role at Brown Shipley and before that worked at Mercer, HMRC and PWC.
Kate Elliot (36)
Head of ethical, sustainable and impact research, Rathbone Greenbank
Kate has been at the forefront of a wide range of engagement projects at Rathbone Greenbank, notably leading the responsible investment community’s work on responsible tax.
Her nominator said: "Kate has, in 2021, stepped up to the role of head of ethical, sustainable and impact research for Rathbone Greenbank Investments, rightly reflecting the commitment she has made to progressing both the Greenbank investment proposition and the team’s ongoing contribution to sustainable investment in the UK and beyond.”
Kate’s new role – in which she manages a team of eight - sees her overseeing and developing the sustainable investment approach applied to Greenbank’s £2.3 billion in AUM. She also helps guide the overall development of the business through her membership of Greenbank’s strategic leadership group.
Michael Flitton (37)
Co-portfolio manager, TM Cerno Pacific, Cerno Capital Partners
Michael is co-portfolio manager for TM Cerno Pacific – a geographic specialist fund that seeks to capture superior growth through Asia’s innovative businesses. Alongside Fay Ren, Michael has pivoted it from a fund of funds in 2018 to a single stock strategy.
TM Cerno Pacific is in the top quartile over a three and five year basis, and at end January 2022 has £90 million AUM.
In addition to his portfolio manager role, Michael works within the investment group and is responsible for security analysis, looking at macro drivers and industry analysis. He also undertakes security analysis with the portfolio managers across the firm’s global equity strategy, TM Cerno Global Leaders.
Michael also sits on the firm’s sustainability committee. Through this, he coordinated the firm’s submission to UNPRI, and has been working on its carbon offsetting planting programme in Gloucestershire.
James Goodhew (39)
Investment director, Rathbones Group
James joined Rathbones in 2004 as an investment manager’s assistant, was promoted to investment director in 2015 and now leads a team of five responsible for approximately £475 million of client assets.
James won the Wealth Management Association Award for achieving a top Distinction in the Private Client Diploma examination in 2006 and was named a PAM Top 40 Under 40 in 2016.
He is also a long-standing contributor to the research committees at Rathbones. James is a senior member of the diversifiers research committee, with responsibility for capital preservation focused strategies.
Over the last 10 years James has been very actively involved in several of the firm’s key investments in alternative assets. He has also sat on the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment review panel.
Priyanka Harkness (37)
Global head sustainability regulatory affairs and UK/Ireland regulatory affairs, Deutsche Bank Private Bank
Priyanka is a leading voice at Deutsche Bank (DB) on sustainability and leads the effort globally in regulatory affairs for the Private Bank.
She is recognised within DB and the broader industry for being a subject matter expert in sustainability regulation.
In addition to representing DB at industry/regulator roundtables with technical expertise in EU and UK Disclosure/Taxonomy/MiFID regulations, she runs regulatory input into DB’s group-wide Sustainability program and manages advocacy with regulators in Europe, APAC and the US.
Priyanka pivoted her career to be focused on Regulatory Affairs after spending almost a decade in DB and BNP Paribas as a structured and vanilla derivatives solutions salesperson.
Outside of her day to day role, Priyanka mentors at high schools on budgeting and creating future employment goals to drive gender empowerment. She also gives English lessons as part of a volunteer program for women from minority communities to enhance their financial independence.
Dennis Howard (38)
Head of Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, Coutts & Co
As head of the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific (MEAAP) Proposition at Coutts, Dennis leads a £4 billion+ sector within the Coutts International business. He became an executive director at just 32.
Over the last three years, Dennis has become a subject matter expert in his markets, building both credible internal and strong external reputation, profile and networks.
He coaches and mentors key talent not only on his own team but throughout the wider Bank. Dennis is also an ambassador for Coutts engaging regularly with clients and prospects both in the UK and the Middle East, as well as leading the Coutts Middle East advisory board.
Between 2019 and 2021 he was the global co-chair of the NatWest Group employee-led network for disability, Enable, where he more than doubled the membership base and increased engagement levels throughout the group.
Dennis was also named a PAM Top 40 Under 40 in 2017 and 2019.
Karen Lau (39)
Senior investment manager, JM Finn
Karen has been at JM Finn for ten years. Her career in finance began sixteen years ago, at Williams de Broë where she completed her professional exams and managed corporate and private clients, before the company was bought by Investec.
Karen now manages £160 million of bespoke client assets, 80 percent of which are managed on a discretionary basis.
Up until 2020, Karen was part of a team managing the Coleman Street Funds, JM Finn’s internal fund range. She played a key role in putting together the ethos and structure of how the funds are managed and helped streamline the fund operation and investment process.
Together with the team, she made the investment proposition more attractive and the funds proved to be successful to the point where JM Finn decided to market the funds externally.
Karen joined Isabel Kwok, JM Finn’s ESG specialist, in 2020 to expand and build a more robust ESG framework.
She is also on the interview panel for new recruits and is a mentor to other colleagues.
She joined the Diversity & Inclusion Committee last year and helped set up JM Finn’s partnership with the charity GAIN to help promote more women in the industry.
Dawn Li Wan Po (35)
Portfolio manager - executive director, Julius Baer
Dawn is an executive director and portfolio manager within the portfolio management team at Julius Baer in the London office, responsible for managing in excess of CHF 600 million.
She joined Julius Baer following Julius Baer’s acquisition of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s International Wealth Management business, where she had been working since 2008. At Julius Baer, Dawn is the lead manager for the global equity income strategy, having been responsible for its launch at Merrill Lynch. This year Dawn joined the UKPM management team.
She regularly presents on Julius Baer’s market outlook broadcasts and appears on its fortnightly podcast. Dawn also takes an active role in training the next generation of portfolio managers.
She is an advocate for Diversity and Inclusion in the business and was one of the founding partners of WealthiHer. Additionally, Dawn was involved in Julius Baer’s Young Partners and Women and Wealth client education programmes.
Andrew Little (37)
Head of office (Exeter/Dorchester), Hawksmoor Investment Management
Andrew began his career in investment management in 2005 at Barclays Wealth and joined Hawksmoor in 2018.
Initially joining as a senior investment manager, he took on the head of office role in 2020, and now heads up a team of nine over two of Hawksmoor’s offices.
He actively mentors and supports his “next generation” colleagues within the firm to help them on their chosen career paths within the finance industry.
Andrew is also part of the PIMFA under 40 committee this year, focusing on making ESG investments easier to understand for those who are new to investing.
Gavin Mahindru (37)
Executive director, Quilter Cheviot
Gavin is an executive director in the Glasgow Quilter Cheviot office, and manage portfolios for private client, corporate and charity investments, with the latter being an area of specialism where he manages portfolios for a number of prominent Scottish charities.
Having joined the Glasgow office in 2009, Gavin has built his book through working with professional intermediaries and building strong strategic partnerships. These strong relationships were put to the test during the last few years, but through regular communication and strong performance Gavin hopes that he has made the Covid-19 years just a little bit easier.
From joining as a trainee he now manages a team of six, which look to contribute to the success of the Glasgow office and has seen the continued progress of other trainees progressing to full investment managers.
Iain McLeod (39)
Head of private client consultancy, St James's Place
Iain is a client facing, STEP qualified consultant in the private client division. He supports SJP's business in engaging with, advising and retaining high net work clients with complex financial planning needs.
He was part of SJP’s record breaking private client team in 2021, supporting gross inflows of £960 million.
He is the SJP private client division's lead on ESG and regularly presents to clients and the wider industry on related matters; raising awareness and driving changing perceptions plus better understanding.
Iain is also a role model across SJP and a highly regarded commercially minded technician. His expertise sits within personal tax, trust and estate planning and he is accomplished at dovetailing this with the needs of corporate clients and non-domiciles.
Edward Park (35)
Chief investment officer, Brooks Macdonald
Edward joined Brooks Macdonald in 2009 on the graduate trainee scheme, becoming an investment manager within one of the London investment teams a few years later. Edward’s clear interest in investment performance and the process which defines it led him to work alongside Richard Spencer, a founder of Brooks Macdonald and chief investment officer at the time.
Edward was instrumental in the overhaul of the firm’s investment process in 2016 when the committee and governance structure was reimagined using institutional best practice. Edward became deputy chief investment officer in 2018 before formally taking over the top role in 2020.
During his tenure as chief investment officer, Edward has overseen strong investment performance for Brooks Macdonald’s investment offerings and has focused his efforts on further developing the culture of idea meritocracy and specialisation.
He is a spokesperson for Brooks Macdonald and comments regularly in the trade, financial and national press on macroeconomic events and their impact on financial markets.
Jaisal Pastakia (36)
Investment director, fund manager, head of equities, Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management
As head of equities, Jaisal's responsibilities range from managing income multi-asset funds to being head of equities. He also has many key client relationships and is a valued member of the tactical asset allocation team. He is calm under pressure and can be considered a great asset to the business and financial services industry, his nominator said.
Jaisal has been with Handelsbanken for over 12 years. Prior to joining the firm, he was a capital markets analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort, and a research analyst at M&A Monitor.
Gabrielle Pütter (31)
Executive director and private wealth adviser, Goldman Sachs
Gabrielle joined Goldman Sachs in 2015 as a client adviser, having previously been at Julius Baer in both London and Hong Kong, where she was part of the macro-research team.
She focuses on building long-term client relationships and takes time to understand each individual client, before delivering bespoke investment solutions across the investment spectrum.
Gabrielle’s client book is varied, including family entrepreneurs, hedge fund and private equity professionals, family offices and registered charities.
A driving force behind the formation of the Goldman Sachs Women & Wealth Forum in Europe, the firm's flagship event focused on delivering unique content to Goldman Sachs' women clients, she is also passionate about mentoring young female talent within and outside Goldman Sachs.
Gabrielle received a first-class degree from Magdalen College, Oxford reading history, and a Masters from Imperial College Business School.
Kartik Rawal (40)
Senior investment director, private office, Investec Wealth & Investment
As a senior investment director at Investec Wealth & Investment, Kartik's success is down to his ability to listen, engage deeply and provide leadership within his entire sphere of influence.
He has featured in PAM's Top 40 under 40 numerous times, and continued to impress through the difficult period of the pandemic, especially with his efforts to ensure his immediate team and colleagues across the whole business continue to feel part of a larger endeavour and community.
Kartik continues to chair the Investec Wealth & Investment's belonging, inclusion & diversity working group, bringing together key stakeholders from across the business and working to advise on the challenges we all face in today's world, how we can help our people on a day to day basis and especially how the business can help become more inclusive for those from many different backgrounds.
Fay Ren (33)
Co-portfolio manager, TM Cerno Pacific, Cerno Capital Partners
Fay Ren is co-portfolio manager for TM Cerno Pacific, a geographic specialist fund that seeks to capture superior growth through Asia’s innovative businesses. Alongside Michael Flitton, Fay has worked to pivot TM Cerno Pacific from a fund of funds in 2018 to a single stock strategy.
In addition to her portfolio manager role, Fay works within the investment group and has specific responsibility for quantitative measurement of sector, style, portfolio and asset class returns. She undertakes asset class studies and coordinates the firm’s top-down symposia at which asset class settings are determined.
She also undertakes security analysis in conjunction with the portfolio managers across the firm’s global equity strategy, TM Cerno Global Leaders.
Nicole Ronge (30)
Relationship manager, Mirabaud
As a realtionship manager, Nicole is dedicated to providing high quality client service, and manages some of Mirabaud's most demanding and complex clients including single family offices. She has also achieved trusted adviser status at a very early stage of her career.
She has risen rapidly since joining Mirabaud after studying French at the University of Birmingham, and regularly receives positive feedback from clients.
Having spent six and a half years at Mirabaud, Nicole now also holds a CISI Level 4 Diploma in investment advice (securities), and equivalent diplomas in investment, risk and taxation, and UK regulation & professional integrity.
Paul Sanders (35)
Partner, The Private Office
Paul is a Chartered Financial Planner and is now into his 11th year at The Private Office.
Paul started his career in the Leeds head office as a graduate. Wanting to become a financial adviser, with determination and enthusiasm moved quickly from a back-office role to the front office, creating a career path for others to follow, in what is now known as the Adviser Academy.
Paul became one of TPO’s partners in 2021, continuing to help develop young talent in the industry through the same academy he carved the way for, mentoring trainee advisers. In 2015, Paul moved to the London office to join the team in expanding the firm’s presence in the south.
Today he looks after a broad range of over 130 private clients. These range from young city professionals who are accumulating wealth, to successful entrepreneurs at business exit and landed estates.
During lockdown Paul set up a local grocery delivery service for elderly neighbours, as well as spending time helping with recurring ‘odd jobs’, helping keep the vulnerable safe.
Alexandre Schneider (33)
Executive director - Investment specialist, JP Morgan Private Bank
Alex started his career with JP Morgan Private Bank in 2012 in the firm's Geneva office where he was an investment analyst. At a very young age, Alex differentiated himself with his technical skills and ability to build trust with ultra-high net worth individuals.
Alex was promoted to associate in 2015 and relocated to JP Morgan’s headquarters, joining the team covering some of the firm’s largest clients in New York City.
In his first two years, Alex managed to build a book of business that led to his early promotion to vice president. During his six years in New York, he mainly focused on business owners and entrepreneurs, and provided investment advice to several clients going through large public and private liquidity events.
Alex relocated to London as an executive director in 2021. In his new role, Alex will bring his experience to the firm’s Middle East based clients.
Anum Shahab (31)
Private banker, Barclays Private Bank
Anum is the longest standing female banker in Barclays UK Domestic Private Bank, having joined after graduating from Cambridge University in 2011. She successfully completed the graduate programme and became a CFA Charterholder, after passing all exams on her first attempt.
She has extensive experience in covering the private equity ecosystem, with a focus on private equity and VC partners.
Anum is also a mentor with the Unreasonable group. This group builds community between entrepreneurs, institutions, and investors to profitably solve pressing global problems.
As a mentor, Anum is part of an international network that is dedicated to leveraging business to solve the seemingly intractable societal and environmental challenges of our time.
Priya Sriskantharajah (38)
Director, private banker, Citi Private Bank
Priya joined Citi Private Bank in November 2019, where she works in the UK team primarily focusing on the South Asian diaspora. During this time, she has actively engaged with a number of high-profile prospects and has so far converted a number into significant clients for the bank.
She has rapidly gained trusted adviser status with these clients, through gaining a strong understanding of their objectives and goals. Through doing this, she has also engaged very successfully with the wider bank in order to help meet her client’s business needs, which includes the corporate bank, commercial bank, investment bank and Citi Gold.
Priya has built a strong external referral network around her, which has resulted in two very significant client referrals being made to her by advisers over the last year. Her outstanding performance was recognised with a promotion to director in Jan 2021.
Priya's success is even more impressive given that she had very little time to spend in office (due to Covid-19) and build relationships. She has managed to build relationships with colleagues, clients and advisors with her hard work, persistence and honesty.
David Stead
Investment manager, LGT Vestra
Since joining LGT Vestra in 2019, David has made significant contributions to the success of the company and desk, with its book growing from £200 million to £460 million in this time.
Even before joining LGT Vestra, David showed a passion for both the industry and the company, starting his career with a work experience stint in 2010 before moving on to learn different disciplines within the industry as firstly a portfolio analyst and then as a financial adviser at TImothy James & Partners.
David’s ability to reassure and perform under pressure is second to none, something which translates whilst dealing with Court of Protection clients who form a significant portion of the book.
David’s familiarity with the advisory world has not only greatly supported clients but has allowed the building of strong relationships with other financial advisers, generating a solid stream of new business.
In the three years David has been at LGT Vestra, not only has he substantially helped to grow a large book but he has established new relationships, income streams and ways of communicating with clients.
Greig Townsend (37)
Area manager private banking, South West, Santander Private Banking
Greig is making a significant contribution to the growth of the UK Private Banking business at Santander. He was promoted from senior banker to team head in 2019 and now leads a team of 13 private bankers responsible for over 3000 clients.
He has helped coach and develop colleagues to enable them to support clients effectively throughout the pandemic, embracing new technology to ensure the bank could continue to be available, and leveraging the breadth of Santander's offshore capabilities as well as onshore solutions to help clients.
Alongside his client focus he continually identifies opportunities in the organisation to improve processes by piloting new approaches to great effect.
Prior to joining Santander in 2016 Greig worked at Quilter Cheviot and also Barclays Wealth and Pritchard Stockbrokers.
Nick Travis (37)
Partner, Tilney Smith & Williamson
A previous constituent of the PAM Top 40 under 40 in 2017 and 2020, Nick continues to go from strength to strength in his career at Tilney Smith & Williamson, currently leading the firm wide entrepreneurs team. He works closely with tax and financial planning professionals to ensure that all elements of a client’s wealth are looked after.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Nick has continued to bring together a community of successful business leaders and his firm with initiatives like Tilney S&W’s Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame. He has also driven strategic alliance partnerships such as with Vistage, EquityFD and The Supper Club.
Nick’s client base includes entrepreneurs, angel investors, NEDs, c-suite directors, and charities. He is particularly focused on supporting business owners in structuring their personal financial affairs while they grow and eventually exit their businesses. He has grown a successful practice with over £300 million under management.
Charlie Underwood (40)
Partner, portfolio manager, James Hambro & Partners
It is a measure of his impact that Charlie was first named a PAM Top 40 Under 40 in 2014. He was a founding member of JH&P 12 years ago and has been instrumental in helping the business grow to what it is today – a multi award-winning firm with over £5 billion in AUM.
Early in his tenure, Charlie headed up research on US equities. As the business has grown his focus has shifted and today he focuses on leading the team on third-party collectives across all asset classes. He runs the internal approval list of external funds that can be used to help populate portfolios, identifying fund managers and teams capable of delivering consistent strong performance over time.
Charlie sits on the asset allocation committee. He is a member of the investment oversight committee and the responsible investment committee.
On top of his wider roles within the business, Charlie manages a team of six, responsible for over £1 billion in assets, looking after some of JH&P’s biggest relationships. His clients include onshore and offshore families, trusts and charities.
James von Simson (38)
Director, investment management, Tilney Smith & Williamson
In more than six years at Tilney S&W, James has proved himself to be a professional and reliable manager.
He is currently in the international clients team, specialising in advising multi-jurisdictional and multi-generational families.
Having worked in politics in Westminster and investment banking in London and Frankfurt, James entered the investment management industry in 2011. Elected in 2020, he sits on the STEP Worldwide Council representing England and Wales.
Throughout his school, university and working life, by James’ own admission he has all too frequently been working with people who look and sound like him. He strongly believes in diversity and inclusion, and the power of mentoring to help others overcome the barriers he never faced.
Toby Walker (39)
Executive director & head of financial planning, EQ Investors
Toby’s route to financial services was by no means traditional. After completing his Economics Degree at Loughborough University, he embarked on a professional rugby career spanning two years in England and Italy.
In 2007, he joined Wellbeck Group, where he qualified and went on to mentor a team of six advisers.
He joined EQ Investors in early 2014. His financial expertise is widely based, and he practices as a general consultant advising clients on all areas of their financial planning. He also works closely with lawyers and accountants providing financial planning advice to their clients.
In 2021, Toby was promoted to head of financial planning. He has played a key role in developing the financial planning team and the overall wealth planning proposition and strategy at EQ Investors.
Toby also manages the day-to-day operations of EQ alongside the senior management team and is responsible for bringing on board new team members that share EQ's B Corp ethos.
Michelle White (39)
Senior investment director, Investec Wealth and Investment
Michelle is a seasoned investment professional and wealth manager who joined Investec in 2021, having previously spent time advising clients at Lehman Brothers, Barclays Wealth, RBC Wealth Management and Julius Baer.
She specialises in advising HNW and UHNW clients with a particular expertise in looking after UK resident US connected families, a skill she picked up in the early days of her career at Lehman Brothers and has developed since. In this regard, she works closely with the leading UK and US tax specialists and lawyers in London and in the US to ensure that everyone is working towards an agreed outcome for each of her clients.
At Investec, she works in the private office where she delivers financial planning, investment management and credit solutions to her clients, being a qualified advisor across all three competencies.
Michelle also draws on her multi-jurisdictional and multi-cultural client experience in her position as co-chair of the Gender Balance Network. Michelle is a CFA Charterholder and holds an honours degree in international business & economics from Lancaster University.
