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.

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.

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!

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

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.

Scott Cassie

Scott started his financial services career on the south coast of the UK in Devon soon after he graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He returned to his native Scotland in 2019 to continue his training and grow his experience in the financial services industry. Scott advises on pensions, savings, protection and investments.

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

Something you didn’t know about Scott:

Scott loves to travel and get to know new people and cultures. While studying, Scott took the opportunity to live in Strasbourg in France and Hamburg in Germany to develop his language skills.

Mantra:

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way.” – Dr Seuss

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.

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.

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.

Dylan Cooney

Dylan joined Thorntons Investments as a 19-year-old apprentice in 2016 and is now studying towards the Diploma in Financial Planning.  He is hoping to progress his career as a Financial Adviser with Thorntons in the coming years.

Dylan enjoys interacting with clients and helping them in any way he can.

Something you didnt know about Dylan:

He does not have very much time on his hands, away from work he manages a local football team, runs his own small business and goes to the gym as often as he can.

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.

Rhea Shearer

Rhea began her work at Matheson Financial in 2016, after obtaining a First Class LLB (Hons) in Law at the University of Aberdeen. She started work within the I.T and Projects side of the business, before making a change and joining the Financial Planning team in 2022. She is working towards her diploma in regulated Financial Planning.

Something you didn’t know about Rhea:

Rhea climbed the highest mountain in North Africa and trekked along the coast of Morocco in 2015 to raise funds for Childreach International.

Outside of work Rhea enjoys spending time with her family and walking her rescue greyhound. Rhea also enjoys yoga & meditation.

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 spending time with her rescue Jack Russell Brian and getting on as many sunshine holidays as she can.