Simon Redhead Dip PFS

Managing Director

I am Managing Director of Wealth Solutions and started the business in 2008, almost in the midst of the financial crisis. From this humble start the clients, staff and business has grown through careful stewardship and professional dedication.  We now have three offices managing over £520million of client assets something we are very proud of but also recognise the huge responsibility. I started my career in Financial Services at Nationwide Building Society in 1991 and, after a very rewarding time, left to become an independent adviser and follow my entrepreneurial ambitions.  Throughout my career one lesson I have learned is to provide exceptional customer service each and every day and to surround yourself with the best talent. I am most proud that we now service the third generation of families who have trusted us with their financial future.

Away from work I am married to Lisa and have two beautiful children Oliver and Isabella. I have been known to play various sports badly, but my main passion is to follow the hugely successful Burnley and the local Alvechurch FC.

Tim Forsyth APFS

Director & Chartered Financial Planner

I started in Financial Services in 1980 with a Building Society, then specialising in mortgages.  I progressed my career with several Life Assurance Companies including Standard Life and Scottish Widows and then joined Ault Independent Financial Advisers (Ault IFA) in 1993. Ault IFA was a wholly owned subsidiary of J Sydney Ault Ltd, an Insurance Broker based in West Bromwich with history dating back to 1896 and I am proud that we still advise third generations of clients that were clients of Ault’s since their beginning. I achieved Chartered Financial Planner Status with the Personal Finance Society in December 2003, which is the highest status awarded by the Personal Finance Society in Financial Services.

In 2009, I was part of the management team that bought the shares of Ault IFA from J Sydney Ault Ltd and then in December 2015, Ault IFA was acquired by Wealth Solutions (UK) Ltd.  I am a Director of Wealth Solutions and continue to advise clients whilst mentoring my younger colleagues through their examinations to achieve Chartered status.

I specialise in pensions, investments and financial planning for wealth preservation across generations.

I am a keen squash and racquetball league player at Solihull Arden Club and I also help organise the annual club championships.

I take an annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Man for the TT races, where I ride my motorcycle at a more sedate pace than the professionals.

My family life is based in Solihull with my wife Jackie and our son Daniel. 

Dan Baylie BSc Hons, Dip PFS

Financial Planner

A Financial Planner with over a decade of experience in the financial service & consultancy industry. Working with clients at the beginning of their financial journey, as their life moves, develops and changes or in their retirement, I enjoy approaching financial planning holistically, creating financial security tailored to the client’s needs while keeping things simple.

I have a degree in Mathematics and started my financial career as an Actuary, working with FTSE 350 companies on their final salary pension schemes. I have since used this experience to advise clients on a more personal level building long term relationships whilst continuing to advise smaller companies.  I spend my time between our Edgbaston and Warwick offices.

Outside of work, I spend time with my young family and love the creative challenges and frustrations of DIY projects.

Steve Elliott BSc (Hons) DipPFS

Financial Planner

I have worked in Financial Services for over 25 years, spending over 20 years as an Adviser and Area Manager at Nationwide Building Society. I was very keen to move into the IFA world to be part of a smaller and growing company. Wealth Solutions has given me the opportunity to be part of exactly that. Being part of a thriving and agile company, and advising clients and their families through building long term relationships is perfect for me. I am able to advise on all aspects of financial, investment and retirement planning, and I am driven by making a difference.

I live locally in Bournville, and when I am not working, I am spending time with my wife Lynz. We are both kept very busy by our three children, Neve, Joe and Mia, never a dull moment!

Ian MacVarish CeMAP, CeFA & DipFA

Financial Planner

I have worked in financial services for over 20 years, I was one of Nationwide Building Society’s youngest Financial Planning Managers before moving into an Area Manager role managing and coaching experienced teams of Financial Advisers. The exciting transition into the IFA world allowed me to use my advanced financial planning qualifications to advise both individual and corporate clients on more complex planning strategies. 

I enjoy building long lasting relationships with clients and to help them plot a path towards and through retirement. This work inevitably encompasses a full range of financial planning and wealth management services.

Outside of work I spend most of my time with my wife Natalie and my two amazing children, Oscar and Lillie.  We love to travel and I spend any free time playing golf at Leamington & County Golf Course. 

Kelly Russell BA (Hons) Dip PFS

Financial Planner

I started in Financial Services as an administrator straight after University and as I am slightly weird and love taking exams, I continued studying and over several years, I passed all my Diploma level exams and a couple of advanced level qualifications just for fun!

At that stage I had no aspirations to be a financial adviser, although I had progressed to a more senior administrator/paraplanner role for a small family run business. I enjoyed speaking with clients and helping them to reach their financial goals with a particular interest in pension planning.

I left to have my first child in 2009 and was lucky enough to have a long career break and another baby 4 years later. They are now 12 and 8 and I returned to the industry 18 months ago to start using my brain again and to be more than ‘just a mum’. I have relished being back in the industry and refreshing my knowledge after many regulatory changes and am now a financial adviser. Those exams came in useful in the end!

I still love speaking to people and building relationships with clients to help them through the various journeys that life takes us on.

David Glasbey BSc (Hons) DipPFS

Financial Planner

Having built a highly-respected financial planning firm, I am now successfully integrating clients within Wealth Solutions.

My 36 years of relevant experience and knowledge enables me to cover all the key aspects of individual and corporate financial planning. 

Diverse personal and family interests outside of work mean that I’m heading towards a busy and fulfilling retirement in 2022.

Sharon Edwards-Beer

Operations Manager

I started my career in Financial Services when I left school. I have mostly worked in small, bespoke IFA businesses because I enjoy the client interaction and am proud of those relationships built up over the years. I joined Wealth Solutions in May 2013 and very much enjoy working with the advisers and clients but now as Operations Manager, my role is more around helping develop the staff we have within Wealth Solutions which is integral to our clients and the business.

I am currently completing a Chartered Managers Degree at Wolverhampton University but when I’m not studying, I enjoy time with friends and family, in particular my 3-year old twin nephews who keep us very busy! My husband and I also enjoy country walks with our dog, and are keen supporters of our local football team, Aston Villa.

Kay Burke

Data & Systems Manager

I joined Wealth Solutions in July 2019 as a member of the team initially in Leamington, which later moved to Warwick. Having over 30 years experience in Back Office and Support Services, I am responsible for looking after the back office data and all things “systems”. Recently my role has been extended to utilise my implementation and acquisition experience to assist Wealth Solutions in growing the business.

Outside work I am a keen supporter of several local charities and look after my son’s entertainment business – and no – I am not the DJ, although I have scared a few clients by telling them I am!!

A Grandma now to a very old before his time 3 year old but wouldn’t have him any other way.

Kelly Knowles LL.B (Hons) DipPFS

Head of Paraplanning

My role as Head of Paraplanning involves overseeing our team of paraplanners to provide research and financial reports of the highest standard. I work alongside the Financial Planners to create tailored financial solutions to suit clients’ needs and complete robust reviews of existing strategies.

I have completed my Diploma in Regulated Financial Services through the Chartered Insurance Institute and I am continuing to study towards the Advanced Diploma. I completed my Bachelor of Law degree at The University of Nottingham and often draw upon the knowledge I gained from studying Tax Law in my current role. I am continually expanding my knowledge of the products and solutions available for clients and monitoring legislation changes or new regulations to ensure our propositions remain suitable.

I have worked in the Financial Services industry since 2015, starting out at a large Wealth Management firm in Canada before moving back to the U.K. and joining a Financial Advisery firm. I enjoy the technical aspects of my current role such as cashflow modelling and investment research. I look forward to continuing to provide our clients with the best possible outcomes in conjunction with their advisers at Wealth Solutions.

Kelly Shephard

Team Leader

I started working in Financial Service 5 years ago and joined Wealth Solutions in September 2017 where I have progressed from Administrator to the role of Team Leader at the Edgbaston Office; I am also a certified Mental Health First Aider and have a keen interest in promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing throughout the team. I have also led our charity projects helping to raise money for local charities such as St Basils and Birmingham Children’s’ Hospital and look forward to working on more charity projects in future. Outside of Wealth Solutions, I am a fan of Musical Theatre and like to see as many shows in as possible.

Charlie Thornton

Team Leader & Group Schemes Co-ordinator

Having graduated from University with a Psychology degree I was not sure what to do next. I decided to look at a career in finance and working as an administrator within Wealth Solutions has allowed me to explore the IFA side of finance over the last 6 years. I am now a Team Leader & Group Schemes Coordinator and have aspirations to eventually become a Financial Planner.

Harjit Rana

Specialist Project Assistance

I started my career in Financial Services with Confederation Life in 1989. After taking redundancy in 1999 I then moved to Ault Independent Financial Advisers in West Bromwich a business with heritage going back to 1896. I increased my knowledge of financial services as Ault’s covered every aspect of financial planning. I also took several examinations related to my work. Ault’s merged with Wealth Solutions at the end of 2015 and I am now part of the admin team where I assist with special client projects.

At home I have brought up 3 children and cared for elderly parents and an errant tortoise!

In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, walking and have recently taken up gardening, trying to nurture my not so green fingers. I also volunteer for a local charity, calling on people who live on their own and help with a charity serving food to the homeless in the local areas.

Heather Whitehouse

Financial Services Administrator

My career in finance started 5 years ago when I returned from a year travelling and working in New Zealand. I was looking for a job and applied for a role as an administrator at a small IFA firm. I soon realised that this was the industry I wanted to work in and became interested in all aspects of the financial advice process. I have since started my exams and continue towards diploma level here at Wealth Solutions with the end goal of becoming a Financial Adviser. Outside of work I enjoy travelling, animals and food!

Jayne Ison

Administration Assistant/Receptionist

I have worked in the Financial Services industry since 2002, working for Zurich and HSBC over a combined period of 17 years before joining the world of Financial Planning in 2019.

I joined Wealth Solutions in February 2021 in an Assistant Administration/Reception role.

I enjoy speaking with clients to book in their review meetings and handle general administration tasks such as post and scanning.

Outside of work, I have a huge passion for baking, enjoy visiting National Trust properties and studying.

Kathryn Cunningham

Financial Services Administrator

I am an experienced financial services administrator, having worked for more than 30 years in the Industry. Over twenty years with AXA beginning my working career in a back-office learning about life and protection products, transitioning to the first call centre handling client and sale office enquiries and expanding my knowledge of pensions. After siting my financial planning examinations in 1999 and progressing to a senior call handler I was promoted to the Technical team and spent the last 7 years at AXA training and quality auditing calls/work. After being made redundant in 2013 I joined Kingsley Financial Planning an Independent Financial Advisers. Being part of a smaller organisation, I was able to utilise my excellent customer service skills and have enjoyed since then the more personal service I can provide to our clients and advisers alike. In 2018 Kingsley Financial Planning became part of the Wealth Solutions group and I have continued to build on the existing client relationships and make new ones. Outside of work I am a fun loving and busy Mum of two who enjoys the outdoors and anything musical theatre related.

Debbie Hampshire

Administration Support

My life at Wealth Solutions began with 3 weeks in the office at Warwick followed by lockdown so working from home quickly became the norm.

As a member of the Administration Team, my key focus is working with the advisers and clients to bring them together for their reviews and meetings.  Many of the clients have never experienced Zoom or FaceTime so some of the conversations held were interesting to say the least!

I have 2 wonderful children, both grown up and working on their respective careers.  I have also recently become a nanny to a beautiful little grand-daughter, Elsie.

Hopefully, as time passes by, I can once again enjoy the company of friends and extended family and continue walking my dog, visiting different parts of the country, and partaking of the odd gin & tonic.

Sophie Barnett

Administration Support

I joined Wealth Solutions January 2021. I am very much at the early stages of my career path and am enjoying learning new skills in my role at Wealth Solutions and being part of the overall team. I am an enthusiastic individual and enjoy the finer things in life. I enjoy the social aspect of life, being with family and friends. I like going for long walks to different places.

Sarah Dexter

Financial Services Administrator

I began my financial services career at AXA Sunlife in 2007, and has since worked for a number of financial services firms in an adviser support capacity within the Warwickshire and West Midlands region.

I joined the Warwick office of Wealth Solutions in January 2021. I take a lot of pride in understanding clients’ Financial Planning needs and look forward to building client relationships and supporting our clients throughout their journey.

Outside of work, I enjoy walking, holidays and spending time with my young family.

James Gleeson

Administrator

Having spent thirteen years working for the TSB Bank, Royal Life, and Scottish Life, I joined Brannan Phillips Independent Financial Advisers in April 1999.

Brannan Phillips were acquired by Wealth Solutions in May 2019, and today, I work with Charlie Thornton, providing administrative support to one of our Director’s Tim Forsyth and Corporate Client support to all Wealth Solutions advisers.

I am a long standing Aston Villa Season Ticket holder and have witnessed the good and the bad times! My other hobbies include travelling, supporting England’s cricket team at Edgbaston, socialising and trying to stay fit!

I hold a Certificate in Financial Planning.

Chris Barnes

Administration Support

My background is predominately in customer service but I have branched out into the finance sector, starting originally as a customer representative in workplace pensions. Joining Wealth Solutions has meant I have been able to branch out even further into many more elements of financial services with the hopes of one day becoming a financial adviser myself.

I am a hardworking and outgoing person with a love of reading, hiking and watching anything binge-worthy on Netflix. My dream is to one day be able to buy a little cabin up the mountains where I can get snowed in and read until I run out of books.