Out of ten investment professionals working at Chelsea Financial Services two were recently listed in Britain's Top 50 most influential IFAs (Professional Adviser). Below are some brief biographies of our key staff:
Darius McDermott - Managing Director
Darius McDermott is approaching his eleventh year within the industry, all of which have been spent with Chelsea Financial Services. He joined Chelsea on a training scheme after graduating from Birmingham University with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry. He gained experience in all business departments before being made Managing Director in February 2000.
As a strong campaigner for financial education and investor rights he has pursued an active role in the media, appearing on Channel Four News, BBC 2's Working Lunch and Radio 4's Money Box. He also has a prominent presence within the national written media and is regularly quoted in various newspaper finance pages. He was rated as the seventh most influential IFA in the UK in a recent poll by Professional Adviser magazine.
Perry Kitchen - Finance Director
Perry Kitchen was educated at Christ’s Hospital, Horsham and Oxford University, where he read History. After five years as a Chartered Accountant with Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG) he spent sixteen years with Shell in various jobs including international crude oil and chemicals trading, and insurance. He joined Chelsea Financial Services in 1996. Perry is Chairman of Putney Arts Theatre, a charity trustee, and responsible for much of the music in his church, as well as playing bass for an occasional rock band. He is married with two children.
Juliet Schooling - Head of Research
Juliet Schooling has been at Chelsea for over 10 years, she joined after graduating from University College London, with a degree in economics. Made Head of Research in 2001, Juliet selects funds for Chelsea's panel and model portfolios, which are featured in our Viewpoint magazine. She also compiles a Fund Review, which covers over 600 funds complete with Buy/Hold/Switch recommendations and risk ratings. She also features regularly in the trade and national press.
Matthew Woodbridge - Bond and VCT Manager
Matthew Woodbridge joined Chelsea in early 2000, after graduating from the University of Sheffield. He was instrumental in setting up the Structured Products Committee which reviews retail structured products for the CFS panel. A strong campaigner for product transparency, Matthew meets with a wide range of bond and VCT providers as part of the company's in-house due diligence process. He is regularly quoted in both trade and national press and was rated the 45th most influential IFA in the UK in a recent poll by Professional Adviser magazine.
