Amber River is a group of like-minded, values-driven people with a passion for financial planning
We think about financial planning in a way that goes beyond financial advice. We call it Life Landscaping® and we’re a group of like-minded, values-driven people with a passion for independent financial planning.
The people behind Amber River fall into three main groups. There’s the Board, a group of trusted and respected individuals with a long and successful track record in financial and investment services. There are our Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) – the people who live, breathe and sleep financial planning. They all run successful businesses in their regions and have now come together under the Amber River Group. And then there’s our central team, working flexibly from home and in our London and Henley offices to support the regional growth and development of our independent businesses.
Whichever group we fall under, we all work together with one, single-minded purpose: To enrich the lives of the people we meet. Through conversations and knowledge sharing, financial planning and advice, whatever life stage you’re at, the team is here to help you plan for a life well-lived.
It’s beyond financial advice,
this is Life Landscaping®.
What we do
Everyone’s journey is different and our advisers will work with you to create and plan for that difference.
Together we work on what’s important to you, creating and curating a future view of your dream landscape. A plan for how you want to get the very best for the life you’ve not yet lived. Making the most of your potential and valuing the important things in life.
Meet the Board
Our Board members are hugely experienced and they love what they do. They believe passionately in the value of independent financial planning and advice, overseeing the workings of the group and providing expert backing and resources to enable our advisers to do what they do best.
David Shearer
David Shearer is a former senior partner and executive board member in Deloitte where he specialised in Private Equity and M&A. Since 2003 he has sat on many boards and has become an experienced Chairman in both the plc and private arena across a range of sectors including Asset Management and the Funds Sectors. He enjoys being engaged in business and using his significant experience to help businesses grow.
When he has down time, David is an avid rugby fan and a keen skier.
Mary-Anne McIntyre
Mary-Anne has a long track record in financial services, having held roles as CEO and Executive Director at Openwork, one of the UK’s largest adviser network, Chief Distribution Officer at Old Mutual Wealth, Head of European Customer Service Operations at Fidelity International and MD of Customer Services at Invesco Perpetual.
She is a qualified chartered accountant and formerly the Group Director of Financial Services at Deloitte.
Simon Brunt
In his professional life, Simon has been drawn to working with dynamic greenfield start-ups and early stage high growth businesses. Since 2004, he has been involved in the financial advice sector, initially as founder CFO of Openwork and then CFO of Intrinsic including its sale in 2014 to Old Mutual, now Quilter. He is delighted to now bring his experience to help roll-out and develop Amber River as a refreshing new force in financial services.
Outside of work, Simon is a keen motorcyclist and music fan.
Charles Schrager
Being an investor is the best job Charles has ever had: solving problems, working with people that are the best at what they do and having the opportunity to make decisions which make things better every day.
Horse riding and live music are Charles's favourite things outside of work.
Dave Cheeseman
Dave Cheeseman has over 30 years’ experience in financial services within the UK and overseas including life insurance, pensions and investment platforms. He is an experienced Finance Director sitting on various regulated company Boards in the sector since 2007. Currently Dave holds Non-Executive Director positions within both the insurance and building society sectors and he enjoys working with businesses that have a real purpose to make life better for individuals.
Outside of work you'll find Dave walking, skiing, travelling and spending time with family and friends.
Martin Baines
Martin is an ex Quilter Cheviot CEO. Appointed in 2003 having joined Quilter Cheviot as an investment manager in 1994. After a two year spell as Chief Investment Director of Old Mutual Wealth’s Investment Division, Martin returned as Chief Executive Officer to Quilter Cheviot until 2018.
Martin now serves on Boards of a number of financial services institutions.
Steven Scott
Stevie is an investor and Non-Executive Director at Amber River. He most enjoys working with the management team to grow the business and create value, for the benefit of the business and its customers.
Outside of work, Stevie has a number of other interests and enjoys a bit of golf, cycling, skiing and family time with their dogs.
Maria Lasauskaite
Maria brings a breadth of Mergers & Acquisitions transaction experience to her role on Amber River's board. She is an Investment Director at Penta Capital and has previously worked at a number investment banks in London. She qualified as an ACA with Deloitte after graduating from the University of Leeds with a First class BSc in Economics and Management. Outside of work Maria is a passionate cyclist and skier.
Amber River Group facts and figures
23,000
clients with bespoke financial plans
31
locations nationwide - and growing
137
independent financial planners
£10.1bn
Assets Under Influence (AUI)
Find a financial adviser
Where and how we meet depends on whatever’s most convenient for you, but we have a number of locations around the UK if you’d prefer to come to us for bespoke financial planning.
Our values
It’s not just what we spend our time doing day to day, but how we go about doing it that makes a real difference to our clients and our communities.
Be human
Human
We see the person and always treat our clients, staff or one another as individuals. We forge long-term caring and supportive partnerships that foster growth for all. We take the job seriously but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We are fun to work with and are welcoming and inclusive – it’s all about the people.
Be the best
Excellence
We believe in doing everything to the highest professional standard. Whether for our clients or our business, we always set ourselves a high bar. We are committed to delivering excellent service and invest in our staff development, expertise, operations and technology. High quality, independent advice and service is our lifeblood which empowers our clients to lead enriched lives.
Be real
Open & honest
We treat everyone with the upmost respect, making informed choices and acting with integrity so that we all thrive together. Doing the right thing runs deep in our DNA. We work tirelessly to build an ethical and robust business. It’s not always easy, but it’s what helps us ensure an enriched future for all.
Be dynamic
Curious
We come to work with a positive outlook and an energy that is contagious. Individuals with a growth mindset and who take responsibility for their own development thrive in our environment. We believe that by supporting our clients, our staff and communities we can build brighter futures together.
Be curious
Can do
We are in a continuous state of development, that’s how we will continue to add value to our clients. We embrace this innate curiosity, asking ourselves daily, ‘how can we do this even better?’ We focus on finding solutions, but our approach goes further. We’re never afraid to look at things differently or challenge the status quo, because we are genuinely excited about what’s next.
Impact Investing
As a values led and B Corp™ firm we are conscious of the impact we have on people, the environment and wider society. For some time, we have been monitoring impact investing with a desire to launch a socially responsible investment strategy.
Life Landscaping®
The purpose of professional financial planning and advice is to help you to create a more prosperous, secure and happy future for you and your family. At Amber River, we call this process Life Landscaping®.
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