Chelsea Financial Services was founded in 1983 as a firm of independent financial advisers by its present Chairman, Dr John Holder. We were the first intermediary to discount initial charges on unit trusts and bonds, and later PEPs and ISAs. Over the last twenty-four years, our clients have saved many millions of pounds they would have paid in charges had they bought direct from investment companies, and we are still leading the way with ISAs. Simply by sending your investment application to us, you can save up to 5.25%, an incredible £535.50 on a £10,200 ISA. So, to get your investment off to a flying start, invest through Chelsea Financial Services.

Below are some brief biographies of our key staff:

Darius McDermott - Managing Director

Darius McDermott is approaching his fourteenth 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 the winner of the IFA Personality of the Year 2010 award from 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, and 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.