Tackling three key investment challenges in a changing world

Tom is editor of Professional Adviser. After joining the publication as a reporter in 2016 he has written about many topics concerning financial advisers, including investment platforms, compliance and regulation, and pensions among others.

Thomas has more than 30 years’ experience in asset and wealth management, including positions as Head of Global Fund Distribution at Fortis Investments and Managing Director Investment Management with Barclays Wealth. He most recently advised investment firms on strategy, marketing and organisation including advising Embark Group in the development of Embark’s investment activities.

Kerry Nelson is the founder and CEO of Nexus IFA, a business she set up just over twelve years ago. Her career before this spanned advice, investment research and marketing and public relations.

Kerry began her career nearly three decades ago in banking moving from branch management into financial advice, and then into research, communications and marketing. Among other roles, she was Head of External Communications with HSBC Asset Management.

She brought this expertise in advice, research, and communications together to create Nexus.

The original Nexus IFA merged with Thames Valley Investments around two years ago. Nexus is now organised into two entities with advisory services within Nexus IFA and investment management within Nexus Investment Managers, with the two divisions offering a combined advice and investment service to clients.

Nexus IFA has three client facing advisers provides general financial planning and advice to individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses in a modern, client-centric practice.

Nexus Investment Managers manages the firm’s model and discretionary portfolios with the latter service available to other advisers. NIM has a team of two fund managers offering discretionary fund management with a combined client bank above 1,000. NIM now has seven DFM portfolios and is able to create bespoke portfolios for individual high net worth clients.

More broadly Kerry is a campaigner for better standards of financial advice and improved practices within the financial services industry, working with the national media to warn consumers about the pitfalls of unregulated investments, while calling for advisers and platforms to improve standards.

A particular concern is unregulated property investments having helped investors and relatives of clients obtain compensation recently.

Before the financial crisis, she played a role in highlighting the risks of structured products and their potential for causing consumer detriment including writing an influential report criticising the products which circulated widely in government and regulatory circles.

Stuart is Director at Pareto Financial Planning and has responsibility for looking after existing, and developing new, business relationships whilst looking after a number of long-term clients. He has extensive experience advising business owners, private individuals, sports and entertainment clients. Stuart also works closely with other professional advisers, such as accountants, and specialises in protecting their client’s businesses and strategic financial planning.

Alex Lyle is Head of Managed Funds, EMEA. In this role he takes responsibility for a large number of the company’s managed funds, is a member of the Asset Allocation Committee and is a key investment contact between the company and a number of its major clients.

He joined the company in 1994 and was appointed Joint Head of UK / European Equity teams in 1999 and became Head of Managed Funds in 2003.

Alex started his career at Hambros Bank’s1 Unit Trust Division, which was acquired by Allied Dunbar2 in 1981 and subsequently became part of Threadneedle Asset Management Limited in 1994. He managed UK equity portfolios for more than 20 years. He has a degree in Geography from Oxford University.

Company start date: 1994

Industry start date: 1980.