Our People |
Platform One has a highly experienced and knowledgeable Board, executive management and operations team, focused on the delivery of the highest level of service to adviser firms and their clients. |
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Michael Fordham Managing Director |
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Michael has established several successful investment systems and administration businesses and has played a key role in a number of high profile initiatives in the UK investment market.
He was involved in some of the early Wrap initiatives and jointly founded the first IFA Wrap platform, Ascentric. This was acquired by Royal London in 2007 and Michael remained as Director until late 2008.
Previously he was a joint founder of the Northumberland Group and grew it until its sale to Banque Generale du Luxembourg in 1991 and Investment Sciences Ltd in 2001 which provided market edge trading platforms and Wrap systems.
His career has also included senior positions with Cap Gemini, Interactive Investor and WAY Group.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
michael.fordham@platform1online.com
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Rita Solanki Business Development - International |
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Rita has been involved in the financial services market since 1988.
In her role of Business Development Manager at Platform One Rita spends her time mainly with adviser, either helping them to use the services to maximum benefit or introducing the platform to them and getting them on board as registered users.
Rita joined Platform One from HSBC where she was actively promoting their Onshore Bonds to intermediaries. Before that she worked for AXA.
 +44 (0)7920 798712
rita.solanki@platform1online.com
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Julie Rowe Business Development - UK & Ireland |
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Julie has worked in the Financial Services sector since 2009 and joined Platform One from Informed Decisions where she was working with IFA firms providing software and consultancy services. She has a wealth of experience in the timely and compliant movement of assets onto Platform Wrap environments. As Business Development Manager she provides Adviser firms with support and assistance in all matters relating to the Platform. Her role is to develop relationships and work closely with financial advisers in the UK and Ireland to help them maximise the benefits of working with Platform One.
 +44 (0)1202 897 090
julie.rowe@platform1online.com
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Mike Foxall Head of Sales Ireland |
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Mike Foxall has 25 years of experience in the Financial Services industry and has spent the last decade as a specialist working with various international investment wrapper solutions. His early roles, at Old Mutual and Aegon, were purely UK focused but the years since joining Scottish Life International in 2003 have seen him support financial intermediaries, asset managers and private banks across the UK, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Finland, Dubai, Ireland and, occasionally, other European countries. During his 10 years with AXA, as Head of International Development, he was integral to AXA Wealth International launching an EU structure from Dublin in 2009 followed by the new ‘Open Discretionary’ style product, Delegation, in 2013.
In 2013, Mike traded the frantic pace of London life for the calmer qualities of County Laois in the Irish countryside. He now splits his time working in Ireland and commuting back into the UK or across to other EU countries. He is well used to travelling having spent the first two years of the 21st Century traveling with his wife through 36 countries, across five continents, which included covering 3,000 miles on bicycles.
 +353 (0)894 127 419
mike.foxall@platform1online.com
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Jeremy Sims Operations Manager |
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Jeremy has a wealth of experience having worked for various financial institutions since 1998.
He worked for JP Morgan as an operations manager dealing with global trade settlements. More recently working with Fund Partners Limited as a relationship manager and a project manager offering a high level of service and support to fund sponsors and investment managers.
He joined Platform One in December 2015 as the Operations Manager and is responsible for every aspect of operations and administration.
 +44 (0)1202 890427
jeremy.sims@platform1online.com
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Hamid Hassani Financial Controller |
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Having gained substantial experience in various accounting roles, Hamid began his career in the financial services industry in January 2007 working for Skandia’s investment control department.
Hamid joined Platform One in March 2013 as Finance Officer and was promoted to Financial Controller in January 2016. Hamid is responsible for the reconciliation of client money accounts and assets under administration, product provider charges and fees, preparation and submission of most Regulatory Report and Returns to FCA, and all financial and accounting aspects of the Group.
Hamid holds an accounting degree, is fully AAT qualified and is currently studying for his CIMA qualifications.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
hamid.hassani@platform1online.com
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Roger Starbuck Client Services |
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Roger has spent the majority of his working life in back and middle office environments for high net worth private client stockbrokers in London. His career includes experience at James Capel, Rowe & Pitman, Daiwa Europe Ltd and Pershing. His final role in the city was as manager of Killik & Co’s middle office operation.
Following relocation to Dorset in 2007 Roger has served with WAY Fund Managers, European Pensions Management Limited and Barclays and therefore brings a wealth of customer care experience to the Platform One client services team.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
clientservices@platform1online.com
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John Whitley Head of IT |
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John Whitley is a highly experienced and business focused IT professional. He joined Platform One in early 2016 to assist the former IT Director to implement a number new systems and become Head of IT on the Directors retirement. John has over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry and brings with him a wealth of business experience and technical skills. He has provided IT consultancy and project management services to a number of corporate companies including Barclays Bank, B&Q and Whirlpool.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
john.whitley@platform1online.com
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Non-Executive Directors - Platform One Group |
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Clive Boothman Chairman |
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A Chartered Accountant by background, Clive Boothman is best known for establishing and driving the funds business of Schroders to success in the 1980/90s. He was initially a fund manager but became Managing Director of their mutual fund business, Schroder Unit Trusts. Later he became Managing Director of Schroder’s global private client business.
After leaving Schroders he became Chief Executive of Gerrard Limited and oversaw the merger of the two stockbroking firms, Greig Middleton and Capel Cure Sharp, into the largest stockbroker in the UK.
In 2002 he became CEO of Cofunds, one of the early leaders in the creation of platforms for IFAs.
In 2004 he became a founder of the Ascentric Platform which he steered through set-up, development and sale to Royal London. He remained as non-Executive chairman until late 2014.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
clive.boothman@platform1online.com
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Kenneth Wrench Non-Executive Director |
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Ken Wrench is Chief Executive of London & Colonial Holdings Limited and is also Managing Director of London & Colonial Trustees Limited and London & Colonial Services Limited.
He has been in the pensions industry for over 35 years and is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner. He has also been a Pensioneer Trustee in his own right since 1979, formerly lectured in PMI subjects at the City of London Polytechnic and prior to founding London & Colonial Trustees Limited (then known as Select Pensions Ltd) was pensions manager and a senior executive of a major insurer.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
ken.wrench@platform1online.com
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Michael Burt Non-Executive Director |
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Michael Burt is a senior corporate finance professional with over 40 years experience in the industry. He was Head of Corporate Finance at Scandinavian Bank Group plc from 1986 to 1991 and from 1991 he has been the Managing Director of Forester MacLean Ltd, a corporate finance boutique which he established.
Michael is Chairman of Cantate Communications Ltd and Non-Executive Director of its wholly owned subsidiary John Good Ltd. In addition, Michael is also Non-Executive Director of Charles Stanley Financial Solutions Ltd.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
michael.burt@platform1online.com
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John Keenan Non-Executive Director |
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John Keenan is an experienced accounting, and investment administration manager. He is used to building and running motivated and well organised professional operations. John joined Abbey Life Assurance in 1969 and remained with them until 1991 having undertaken a number of increasing senior roles from Data Control Manager to Unit Trust Manager. After leaving Abbey life he spent 18 years as an Interim Manager and “trouble shooter” for a number of financial organisations such as Abbey National, Canada Life, Winterthur Life, Chase Manhattan Bank, AXA Sun Life Investment Management and Friends Provident.
Since 2009 he has been a consultant and senior executive at WAY Group which was an early founder of Platform One.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
john.keenan@platform1online.com
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Peter Legg Company Secretary |
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Peter Legg is Company Secretary of WAY Group Limited and its subsidiaries. He joined WAY in 1998 and is also a non-executive director of the holding company and Finance Director of one of its subsidiaries, WAY Fund Managers Ltd.
Prior to joining the group, he was a senior partner in a Chartered Accountancy practice in Dorchester and was responsible for the supervision of audits of medium sized companies. He has wide experience in auditing, corporate taxation and Company’s Act legislation.
 +44 (0)345 366 5445
peter.legg@platform1online.com
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