Doug is a highly experienced and qualified financial planning professional. Having initially trained as a management accountant, he started in financial services in 1988 with Prudential. By 2000, Doug realised that he could provide a better service for his clients as an independent, so he left to form Affinity.
Since then he has passed a number of advanced financial planning certificates of the Chartered Insurance Institute including:
Diploma in Financial Planning;
G60 – Advanced pensions planning;
G10 – Taxation and trusts;
SV1 – Advanced savings and investments;
Pensions simplification update programme;
J04 - Pension Funding Options;
Membership of the Personal Finance Society
Doug is married to Norina and they have two daughters, Isabella and Annalise, both of whom attend a local independent school.
Doug values time with his family and makes the most of their holidays. Interests include the odd round of golf, visits to the gym (motivation permitting) and watching Southampton FC.
Jon Elkins BSc (Hons.)
Independent Financial Adviser
Jon has been advising teachers and other academics for more than seventeen years and specialises in helping them to plan for retirement as well as other forms of investment and family protection.
Like Doug, he continues to refine his technical skills and has been awarded the coveted Chartered Financial Planner status. He is an Associate of the Personal Finance Society and holds:
Diploma in Financial Planning;
MAQ – Mortgage adviser qualification;
G10 – Taxation and trusts;
G20 – Savings and investments;
K10 – At retirement planning
K20 – Pension Investment Options;
G60 - Advanced pensions planning;
CF2 – Investment and risk;
ACF5 – Holistic financial planning;
Pension simplification update programme;
Lifetime Mortgages and Equity Release;
Long Term Care.
Jon entered the financial services sector after graduating from Bristol University in 1988 with honours in economics. In addition to being an experienced presenter, he also continues to work with a wide range of private clients and receives many referrals from those he has advised.
Peter Andrews
Independent Financial Adviser
Peter joined the financial services industry in 1987, with a leading home service life office in the North East. He then moved on to join a leading Bank where he spent a number of years advising individual clients on investments, protection and pensions. Peter holds:
Diploma in financial planning;
Membership of the Personal Financial Society.
Peter says: “while focusing on investments, I am keen to provide a holistic service to my clients.” Peter has two children; a son and daughter. Before entering financial services, Peter ran a small business, so he is well placed to understand the needs of the business community.
Thom Box
Independent Financial Adviser
Thom moved to the UK in 1981 after eleven successful years in financial services in the USA. Since then, he has offered full financial planning advice to UK clients as well as specialist advice to the American ex-patriot community. In particular, he focuses on the complexities of domicile and estate conservation and taxation for Americans residing abroad. He maintains full compliance with both UK and USA regulatory authorities as well as association with an American broker/dealer in order to be able to offer advice and solutions in either sphere.
Thom has achieved many top awards in the international financial services arena including the Million Dollar Round Table, the National Quality Award and the National Achievement Award. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate (UK);
Series 6 Securities License (USA);
Licensed by the National Association of Securities Dealers (USA);
Membership of the Personal Finance Society (UK).
He has achieved many top awards in the international financial services arena including:
The Million Dollar Round Table
National Quality Award
National Achievement Award
Natalie Brassill
Independent Financial Adviser
Natalie entered the financial services sector in 1998 and held various roles within one of the largest IFA support networks in the country. After working her way up the ladder to become a Business Development Manager, Natalie left to work for a specialist mortgage company as a Sales Consultant travelling all over the country to assist financial advisers with specialist mortgage cases.
Natalie joined Affinity in 2005 and specialises in mortgages. She holds:
Diploma in Financial Planning;
CeMap -Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice;
CeLTM -Certificate in Lifetime Mortgages and Equity Release;
Membership of the Personal Finance Society.
Natalie is married to Mark, and they have a young son, Tiernan. Her free time is spent with her young family, who enjoy walks in the countryside and holidays.
Mike Brooks
Independent Financial Adviser
Mike has worked in the Financial Services Industry for over 19 years in both an advisory capacity and in various managerial roles. For the last 6 years he has been working for Affinity as an Independent adviser assisting Teachers and Academic Staff with their personal financial affairs and retirement planning. He also continues to work with private clients. He holds:
Full Financial Planning Certificate;
Pensions simplification update programme;
Membership of the Personal Finance Society.
Mike is married with two grown up children. His interests include, Clay Pigeon Shooting both in the UK and Europe, and travelling to Manchester regularly with his son to watch United.
Paul Davidson
Independent Financial Adviser
Paul trained with Lloyds TSB, holding various appointments including assistant branch manager, before becoming an investment adviser for 10 years with Lloyds TSB/Scottish Widows. During a career spanning 13 years, Paul was regarded as one of the top financial consultants in the company. However, he became dissatisfied with the limited range of advice he could offer his clients in the “tied” environment, so he left to join Affinity in April 2002. He holds:
Aleks joined the financial services sector in 2002 with a building society, training as a mortgage adviser. He continued to work as a mortgage adviser until joining Affinity in 2006 where he fulfilled his goal of becoming a fully-fledged Independent Financial Adviser. Aleks continues to offer advice in the area of mortgages but is now able to consider the wider aspects of financial planning. He is currently involved with independent schools as well as dealing with private clients. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate;
Holds CeMAP - Certificate of Mortgage Advice & Practice;
Membership of the Personal Finance Society;
Pensions Simplification update programme;
BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, UCL 1999.
David Lewis
Independent Financial Adviser
After leaving University, David became a cartographer. He joined the financial services sector with Prudential in 1991 and became a 'Premier Group' member, offering specialist advice to both corporate and private customers. He was 'headhunted' to join Affinity in 2004 and quickly found that the flexibility, responsibility and increasing professionalism required of Independent Financial Advisers was very much to his liking. David is keen to embrace the 'advice driven proposition' that Affinity represent and particularly enjoys working with independent schools. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate.
David is married to school teacher Shelley with two children, James and Katie. He enjoys playing and coaching tennis and represents Oxford Sports in the Oxfordshire League. He also plays golf when time permits (and admits to supporting Spurs and Swansea Rugby Club).
Stephen Maxwell
Independent Financial Adviser and Compliance Manager
Like Doug, Stephen started his career with Prudential, in his case as a commercial underwriter, before moving over to giving advice. He rose quickly to become a Financial Inspector and then Sales Manager for Aylesbury, managing a team of seven advisers.
After more than 20 years with Prudential, he left to join Affinity in 2002 as a Financial Adviser. He has since developed the additional roles of Affinity’s Supervisory, Compliance, Training and Competency Function. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate;
MAQ – Mortgage adviser qualification;
Lifetime Mortgages and Equity Release;
Pensions simplification update programme.
Rob O'Neill
Senior Mortgage Adviser
Rob started in the mortgage sector in 1988 with Royal Life Estate Agents where he stayed for 10 years, before becoming Director of a local independent mortgage broker. He built up the business until he left to join Affinity in June 2007.
He has experience in dealing with all aspects of the mortgage market giving independent advice to clients ranging from first-time buyers, re-mortgagors to experienced portfolio landlords. He continues to specialise in the mortgage field and offers a solid background for professional mortgage advice.
He lives with Mel and their 5 children (ages13-20) 1 horse, 2 dogs and 2 cats. Hobbies include Golf and going to the Gym. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate;
CeMAP - Certificate of Mortgage Advice & Practice.
Stuart Whitworth
Independent Financial Adviser
Stuart joined the financial services sector in 1994 with Prudential Assurance Ltd and was a “top 10 New Entrant” in his first year, out of 1050 starters. He continued as one of the top Financial Consultants, resulting in him being invited to join Prudential's “Affinity Team”, advising Local Government employees.
Stuart joined Affinity in August 2000 and quickly found that the transition to independence allowed him to work with a “full bag” of financial planning tools - and a dynamic group of fellow advisers.
He has built up a varied group of clients ranging from company directors, public servants, and the self employed as well as private clients, all achieved by referral. He holds:
Financial Planning Certificate;
MAQ Qualification mortgage adviser qualification;
Membership of the Personal Finance Society.
John Andrews
Paraplanner
Holds:
Full Financial Planning Certificate
G10 - Taxation and Trusts
MAQ - Mortgage Advice Qualification
Pensions simplification update programme
Worked at Lloyds Bank for 5 years before joning Equitable Life in 1987. Enjoyed a variety of roles in a 15 year career before leaving after the sale of Equitable to HBOS plc.
John gained valuable experience working for an Independent Financial Adviser in Watford before joining Affinity in November 2004.
Helen Green
Administration Controller
Upon leaving school in 1985, Helen undertook a Y.T.S at Rank Xerox, where she learnt her Secretarial Skills. From there she enjoyed a career at Ginn & Co, publishers of primary school books for a year before starting a family. Helen rejoined the workplace when her children were a little older, attended college, where she gained RSA secretarial qualifications. In September 1998 she started working for a shop-fitting designer/manufacturer as an Administrator and worked there for over 4 years.
Helen has worked at Affinity since 2003.
Pippa Rickard
Database Administrator
With over 15 years experience in Financial Services and Civil Service administration, Pippa joined the team at Affinity IFA following a career break. Previous employers include Target Life Assurance Company Ltd, HMC and Cannon Lincoln.
