Stephen Webster

As Chief Executive, Stephen embodies the energy and passion of our team, leading with an entrepreneurial flair and a sincere commitment to our staff, clients and stakeholders. Stephen has more than 25 years’ experience as an investment management professional and has a detailed knowledge of model portfolio methodology, private equity and corporate pension legislation.

Something you didn’t know about Stephen:

Stephen is passionate about the Gaelic culture and language which is perhaps why he owns so many tweed suits and socks. When Stephen is not working he can usually be found on the Island of Barra in the Western Isles helping with the family croft.

Chris Forde

Chris started his career in the industry in 2004 after graduating from Abertay University with a Degree in Business Studies specialising in Financial Services.  As well as obtaining his qualifications to become a financial planner Chris has continued to develop his business knowledge along the way something which he started at the ripe old age of 14 when his focus in school was business studies.  He has experience in running and operating a financial planning business adapting to the changes and challenges over the last 16 years which will help him in his role in the team.   He advises clients on their Investments, Pensions, Protection, Inheritance Tax planning as well as helping corporate clients with their employee benefits.  Chris really enjoys using cash flow planning tools to help clients get a glimpse of their financial future.

Something you didn’t know about Chris 

Chris has three chickens which each of his three children named Becky, Scrambled and Soapy Dopey! 

Mantra

Don’t be afraid of a blank sheet of paper when making changes. Look forward and learn from your mistakes.

Adam Rutter

Adam started his financial services career on the Isle of Man and subsequently returned to Dundee in 2015 to gain further experience.  He advises on pensions, savings, protection, and investments.

He is a Chartered member with the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) and has attained the Diploma in Financial Planning with the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). 

Something you didnt know about Adam :

Adam rediscovered the joy of cycling during lockdown and cycles regularly when it is not raining! He also enjoys hillwalking and has recently started “bagging” Munros and looks forward to completing more in the future.

Mantra:

Treat everyone with politeness and kindness, not because they are nice, but because you are.
Roy T. Bennett

Chris Hardie

Chris is a Chartered Financial Planner and a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. He has over a decade of experience in providing financial advice to high net worth individuals and their families. In his role, Chris enjoys the challenge of keeping his client’s finances as simple as possible and providing reassurance that they are on track to meet their financial goals. Chris is a big advocate of cashflow modelling and has found it incredibly helpful to provide clients with confidence that they can afford to retire, spend a bit more or make gifts to their family.

Something you didnt know about Chris:

Having hung up his rugby boots a few years ago, outside of work you can find Chris hacking his way around the golf course or trying to stay fit in the gym. Chris trained to be a PE teacher at university and is keen to use this experience to educate the next generation about personal finances and the power of investing.

Stewart Taylor

Stewart is an experienced Financial Adviser who has been providing financial planning advice to individuals and corporate clients for over 17 years. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Insurance and specialises in providing investment, inheritance tax planning, pension and protection solutions for his clients.  Stewart is currently working towards achieving an accreditation to become a Later Life Adviser, focusing on the financial planning needs of older clients.

Something you didn’t know about Stewart:

Stewart is a sports enthusiast and enjoyed skiing until he required the assistance of the ski police to rescue him from an Italian mountain. He now prefers safer sports like running and swimming!

Alison Bayne

Alison is an experienced Financial Adviser who offers financial advice to individuals, trusts and businesses within a range of financial planning and investment services and products.  The advice includes a comprehensive range of financial planning and tax matters, including investment, pension and retirement planning and protection.  She is a member of The Chartered Insurance Institute.  

Something you didn’t know about Alison:

Alison skydived from 15,000ft over Lake Taupo in New Zealand whilst taking in the views of the scenery from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Mantra: Treat other people as you would like to be treated; remember small kindnesses and forget small faults.

Richard Forde

Richard has been working in the financial services industry since 2010 working his way up from office administrator to a financial planner.  He offers whole of market financial advice to private clients to help them achieve their financial goals, as well as those individuals looking to plan further ahead for the next generation.  He is a member of The Chartered Insurance Institute.

Something you didn’t know about Richard:

Although he has had type 1 diabetes for over 20 years, he doesn’t let it slow him down and is a keen snowboarder.  He also did a skydive from over 14,000 feet in his early 20’s for a cancer charity.

Mantra:

Try everything at least once.  You never know, you might like it.

Tim Ritchie

With over 25 years of accountancy experience, Tim has worked in private practice and a variety of industries ranging from a chain of night clubs to a country estate.  Tim joined Thorntons Investments in 2014, and plays a key role in our strategic growth plans. The highlight of Tim’s day is being part of a great team – his dry humour helps to make numbers fun!

Something you didn’t know about Tim:

Tim has been learning to play the saxophone for the last ten years.

Elmira Donald

Elmira began her career in financial services in Aberdeen after graduating from Robert Gordon University. Later, she spent several years in Malaysia, offering holistic financial planning services to expatriates in Southeast Asia.

Elmira is deeply passionate about offering comprehensive financial planning to assist clients in reaching their long-term goals. Her focus is on ensuring the financial well-being of her clients by providing them with the necessary knowledge, guidance, and support to make confident financial decisions. She believes in taking the worry and stress around financial planning away from her clients, ensuring they have a solid financial plan in place to live the life they want.

Elmira is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and holds the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. She is actively working towards achieving chartered status.

Family is very important to her and she enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as travelling and learning about different cultures, history and politics. She also enjoys baking and boxing.

Mantra

Don’t be a prisoner of your thoughts. Open up to the infinite possibilities that arise when you let go of fixed opinions.

Phil Annand

Phil’s financial services career spans over 43 years and during this time has helped many clients towards achieving their life goals by delivering effective lifestyle financial planning strategies.

He is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute and holds a Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning.

Something you didnt know about Phil :

Phil enjoys travelling and hillwalking whilst attempting to maintain a reasonable level of fitness with off road cycling, running and lots of walks with Benji, the family Dachshund.

Jonathan Walkingshaw

Jonathan hails from Cumbria, and it is there he began his career as a financial planner in early 2007. Since that time Jonathan has worked assisting private clients, trusts and corporates from the Lake District to London, to tax-efficiently build, manage, and perhaps most importantly, enjoy their wealth. Beyond the fundamentals of financial planning Jonathan has built considerable experience working with clients, sensitive to the impact their investment decisions can have on the world around us, and believes that the pursuit of growth or income need not be at the expense of one’s values.

Latterly Jonathan has moved north to work with Thorntons Wealth in Aberdeen, swapping the lakes, becks and fells of Northern England for the lochs, burns and beinns he’s frequently visited in his free time for more than two decades.

Something about Jonathan:

Though Jonathan would prefer to be remembered as an adventurer enjoying sporting pursuits in the great outdoors, he does hold an award for ballroom dancing which he professes to have acquired by accident.

Mantra:

If you don’t stand up for something, you’ll fall for anything.

Leigh Hudson

Leigh looks after the wellbeing of our team. A Yorkshire lass with over 20 years’ experience as an HR specialist, Leigh chose to move from a large PLC to join our team – enticed by our entrepreneurial spirit and ambition.  Leigh deals with all our HR functions, from recruitment and resourcing to policy development and employee relations. Her ongoing work with personal development and employee relations contributes to a business culture we are proud to be part of.

Something you didn’t know about Leigh:

Leigh left the bright lights of London for rural Perthshire. She has four pet donkeys and an ongoing house restoration.

Mantra – Always treat others how you would expect to be treated

Shirley Robertson

Shirley’s career in Financial Services spans 30 years, starting at Gateway Building Society in a customer services role and moving on to Bradford & Bingley where she gained her professional qualifications, undertaking the role of Senior Financial Planning Adviser.   Eager to further her career, she was delighted to be selected as the first Branch Manager of a new local branch of Skipton Building Society who were expanding their network of branches in Scotland. Shirley has spent most of her career in a client facing role, however, in more recent years, she has been using that experience and applying it to her current role as Compliance Manager.  Regulation is fast moving and ever changing; the role of the Compliance Team in Thorntons Investments is to keep abreast of those changes and ensure we look after our valuable client relationships.

Something you didn’t know about Shirley:

Shirley was a member of the Territorial Army Royal Signals Regiment and was recognised nationally with an outstanding recruit award after completing military training – never afraid to get her hands dirty.

Mantra: little things can have a big impact.

Andrew Hannay

Andrew has been involved in financial services for over 40 years, most lately with Robson Macintosh & Co, Edinburgh, until the recent acquisition by Thorntons Wealth. Andrew specialises in investments, pensions and general financial planning, and is looking forward to introducing his clients to the team at Thorntons Wealth.

Jeff Lewis

Jeff has been in financial services since 1987 working in insurance before becoming an IFA in 2001. He joined Thorntons Wealth in September 2024, following the acquisition of his former business, Robson MacIntosh (RobMac) where he worked as a Director since 2008 specialising in pre and post retirement planning ensuring people have the retirement they have worked so hard to achieve.

Something you didnt know about Jeff:

In his spare time, Jeff enjoys golfing at Dunbar & Nairn as well as Curling at Murrayfield for both Haddington and Aberlady.

Lisa Doig

Lisa has been working in financial services for over 30 years taking only a short time out to raise a family.  Offering financial planning advice to private clients to help them reach their goals in life – Lisa holds the DipFA level 4 (Diploma for Financial advisers).

Something you didn’t know about Lisa:

Lisa is passionate about her charity work volunteering in mental health and also as a Samaritan.

Andrew Park

Andrew worked in banking for 8 years in a number of management and sales related roles before joining Thorntons Wealth in February 2022. He is currently working towards his diploma in regulated Financial Planning.

Something you didnt know about Andrew:

As a Christian he is a leader at the youth clubs organised by his local church and regularly spends time in the summer as a leader at a youth camp. In his spare time he enjoys running, playing football and golf.

Stewart Hagart

Stewart began his career in financial services with Robson Macintosh in 2013 after leaving school, starting as an office junior. After moving up to full administrator and deciding to pursue a career in financial services, Stewart put his spare time, particularly during the Pandemic lockdown to good use, completing his Level 4 Diploma in Summer 2021.

Stewart joined Thorntons Wealth in September 2024 as a Trainee Financial Adviser, following the acquisition of RobMac and is looking forward to advancing his career in financial planning.

Something you didnt know about Stewart:

Outside of work, Stewart enjoys spending time outdoors, whether that be golf, a run or a hill walk.

Kim Storey

Kim started her career 21 years ago as an office junior working for Thorntons Solicitors in Arbroath, before moving into the Investment team.  In 2002 She moved firms before re-joining Thorntons Investments 13 years later.  Kim holds her Level 4 Diploma in Financial Services and is currently working towards Chartered status.

Kim is committed to our Financial Advisers in providing the best service she can to our clients.

Something about Kim –

She enjoys keeping fit and is a keen runner, in between running her twin girls to swimming galas.

Mantra:

Life is short you never know what is around the corner, enjoy each day and be happy!

Anne Rose-Smith

Born and raised in the suburbs of London, Anne started her working life with NatWest Bank before a couple of career moves saw her end up running the operations department of a commodities broker in the City of London. The opportunity to move on to something different was grabbed with both hands and she moved to Dundee in 2017 to join Thorntons Investments. Now a Diploma Qualified Paraplanner, she works from home whilst attempting to supervise her Tibetan Terrier.

Yan Gong

Yan joined Thorntons Investments in 2017 prior to which she worked in financial services for a number of years.  She holds a Masters Degree in Finance from the University of St Andrews.  She has been awarded the Skandia Quaich for Financial Planning Certificate and the First Scottish Asset Management Trophy for her Level 4 Diploma in Financial Planning, by the CII for her exemplary exam attainments.  Yan has a particular interest in Taxation and Pensions. 

Something about Yan:

She is originally from Shanghai, and is fluent in Mandarin.  In her spare time, she enjoys acrylic painting and is also a keen park runner.

Nayomi Stewart

Nayomi joined MFC in June 2017. She has a BA (hons) in Publishing with Journalism and worked in various sales support roles prior to moving into financial services. She is currently working towards her diploma in regulated Financial Planning. 

Nayomi enjoys hill walking and recently started attempting some Munros.

Sharon Bedford

Born and raised in Yorkshire, Sharon began her career in Financial Services in 1987 when she joined General Accident.  Sharon later joined Naafi Financial Services working predominantly with the armed forces in the North of England and overseas in Germany.  She moved to North East Fife 23 years ago and became Office Manager at a small family of Financial Advisers before taking a break from the industry to pursue another role within the public service sector.  Sharon made her return to Financial Services in 2019, joining our Investment team as a Portfolio Management Assistant before making a change and recently joining the Financial Planning team.  She is working towards her diploma in regulated Financial Planning.

Something you didn’t know about Sharon :

Sharon spent a year volunteering in Moncarapacho, Portugal at a holiday centre for people with disabilities.

Outside of work, Sharon enjoys going on as many sunshine holidays as she can.