TAVISTOCK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Group Financial Controller
Amy is a Chartered Accountant and gained a first-class degree in Economics from Exeter University. Having qualified in public practice working in statutory audit, she joined Tavistock in 2017 and in 2022 was invited to become a member of the Group's Executive Board. Amy leads the team who are responsible for the financial operation of the Group and for providing additional support to individual business heads within the Group. She also engages in a wide range of strategic modelling and other projects in support of the Group's Executive Directors.
Ben Raven - Managing Director
Ben has 15+ years' experience in financial services having held senior management positions at both Asset Management and Wealth Management organisations. Ben joined the business that became Tavistock Wealth (Blacksquare) in the summer of 2007. During this time he was a Director and Head of Research. Responsibilities within Tavistock have included Group business development, providing support to all Group advisers and conducting due diligence on a number of acquisitions. He holds a B.A in Business Management from Leeds University Business School.
Brian has been involved in financial services since 2010, when he became Chairman of Blacksquare Capital. He has a wealth of commercial experience, from founding and developing businesses to running public companies on both the AIM and the Official List. In 1991, Brian founded Card Clear Plc, subsequently renamed Retail Decisions plc, a business engaged in combating the fraudulent use of plastic payment cards. He led the company until 1998, by which time it was an AIM listed international group, with a market capitalisation of some £100 million. This was followed by the development of a group focused on delivering membership card systems and loyalty schemes across the UK health and fitness sector. As a principal, Brian has been responsible for numerous corporate acquisitions and disposals, as well as for delivering organic growth. He and Chairman, Oliver Cooke, founded Tavistock Investments in 2013.
Chris has over 30 years' experience in the marketing and creative arena. His work with 3M UK Plc included marketing Scotch Tape and Post-it notes, and was instrumental in establishing a joint venture with the BBC that launched BBC Video in the early 80's. Chris was then European Head of Operations with Embassy Pictures, before leaving to set up his own Design Business, initially focused on the music and film industries. Clients included Warner Brothers, Virgin, CBS Fox, Polydor, BSkyB, Philips, Samsung, Sony and VW. Chris is the architect of Tavistock Investments' entire brand strategy and he oversees the marketing activity of all Group businesses.
Job Titles:
- Investment Product Specialist
Greg Preston - Chief Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- Compliance Director
- Group Compliance Director
Gregor joined the Tavistock Investments Group via our first acquisition in 2014. During his career he has held compliance roles in both Advisory and Wealth Management businesses with particular focus on the establishment and on-going compliance controls of our Investment Management products and services. Gregor now leads the compliance function with an objective of delivering great client outcomes whilst managing regulatory risks to ensure business activities and stakeholder engagement is in line with regulatory principles (spirit) and rules.
Greg is the Compliance Director at Tavistock Asset Management and joined the Tavistock Investments Group via our first acquisition in 2014. During his career he has held compliance roles in both Advisory and Wealth Management businesses. Now supporting all areas of the Investment Management business, with particular focus on the establishment and on-going compliance control of our Investment Management products and services, whilst providing liaison between our regulated Group entities.
Job Titles:
- Finance Director
- Group Financial Officer
Johanna is an accomplished Finance Director with 20+ years of professional achievement in Multinational companies. She has a track record of delivering strategic, commercial and operational solutions across global organisations, including the implementation of complex Mergers and Acquisitions. Johanna has proven ability to deliver top and bottom lines and adapt to ever-changing business environments while focusing on talent development and lean processes. She holds a Masters' degree in Economics and Business Administration from The University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director for Both the Registered Individual
- Managing Director Tavistock Partners & the Tavistock Partnership
Malcolm is Managing Director for both the Registered Individual (Tavistock Partners) and Appointed Representative (Tavistock Partnership) businesses within Tavistock. Having been in the industry for 29 years, he founded Abacus Associates in 2003, which he developed into one of the country's leading Independent Financial Advisory firms. Under Malcolm's management, Abacus grew to an adviser force of 44 and assets under management of approximately £650m prior to joining the Tavistock Group in 2016.
Mark joined Tavistock PLC having worked within financial services since 1987. In 1996, he formed his own IFA brokerage in several locations and since has successfully generated leads and business opportunities for his advisers. This culminated in MBO's and Mark then moved to work in the private client sector. As well as running his own successful brokerage, Mark has excellent experience of working with the expat community and set up and ran a successful brokerage in Portugal. In 2012, he was recruited into Lighthouse Group as their first Business Development Executive. Mark recruited and mentored many new advisers and was promoted to Business Development Director. Six months later he was promoted to Managing Director of Lighthouse Financial Advice where he consolidated the separate divisions into one and helped increased the advisers' earnings substantially.
Mark has over 21 years' experience in financial services in leadership roles including Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Head of M&A and risk management. Mark has group wide responsibility for HR, financial planning, compliance, risk management, operations (facilities, procurement and support), change management and technology. Mark has previously been a Partner at RSM UK (Baker Tilly) for over 10 years and completed senior consultancy roles at AA Insurance, Interactive Investor and M&G Prudential, amongst others.
Oliver has over 40 years of financial and business development experience gained in a range of quoted and private companies including over twenty five years' experience as a Public Company Director. He has considerable experience in the fields of acquisitions, disposals, fundraisings, turnarounds, restructurings and strategic transformation. Oliver is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Peter has spent more than 40 years in the financial services industry. Having joined AEGON in 1981 as a sales consultant he progressed through a series of sales and general management positions to being appointed to the executive management board in 1999. He had executive responsibility for post-acquisition integration of a number of businesses including Guardian Assurance, Positive Solutions and Origen. Peter was also responsible for Scottish Equitable International in Luxembourg from 1996 until 2002 and was appointed chairman of AEGON Ireland when it was launched in 2002. Since 2012, Peter has acted as a consultant to a number of businesses within the financial services sector with a particular emphasis on governance, risk management and financial controls.
Roderic has spent more than 35 years in financial services encompassing a variety of roles including sales, strategy, product development, proposition, operations and latterly acquisitions, mergers, and integrations together with corporate affairs, risk and regulatory matters. He provides consultancy services in the financial services sector to a range of providers, fund managers and intermediaries and particularly specialises on RDR, for which he chaired the professionalism and reputation work stream within the Financial Services Authority. Roderic is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute's Disciplinary Committee, having previously been a member of its Professional Standards Board and Executive Board.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Director
- Business Development Director for Tavistock Wealth
Steve is the Business Development Director for Tavistock Asset Management. Steve has over 20 years' experience in financial services and spent over a decade at Barclays Wealth managing private client portfolios, before becoming Investment Director for PB Financial Planning (PBFP) in 2010. He joined the Group in 2016 with the acquisition of PBFP, serving as an Investment Consultant and Head of Adviser Support. Steve holds an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Leeds, as well as Chartered Wealth Manager status with the CISI where he is also a Chartered Fellow.
Suzy is a Chartered HR professional with over 20 years' experience in human resources, and has held management positions at both professional services and financial services organisations. Suzy joined the Tavistock Investments Group in 2020, and in her role as Director of HR she oversees the HR functions across the Group. During her career, she has developed an expertise in strategic HR business partnering, mergers and acquisitions, organisational change, talent and people development. She holds a Masters' degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Hertfordshire.