About Us
Meet The Team
Gary Newton
Director & Financial Planner
Gary has been with Chartwell since the business was established in its current form at the beginning of 2002, and is a shareholding director of the company.
Outside of the office, Gary is married with two children (and so far) one grandchild. Gary lives in Sandiway but likes to spend a lot of his spare time and weekends at his place in Nefyn, North Wales.
Gary is a keen golfer and amateur chef, and a lifelong supporter of Manchester City.
Sandra Browne
Director & Employee Benefit Consultant
Sandra is a shareholding director of the company and heads up our Corporate team with over 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry.
Sandra joined Chartwell in 2002 and her particular area of expertise is Group Risk & Healthcare. Sandra and her team work with our clients to design & implement bespoke benefit programmes to make sure that they have the right policies in place for their employees.
Sandra will monitor the costs of selected benefits to make sure they remain competitive and is always on hand to help clients to offer guidance or to assist with making a claim. Outside of the office, Sandra’s hobbies include travelling and enjoying good food.
Robbie Newton
Director / Financial Planner
Robbie joined Chartwell in 2016 and has since covered all aspects of roles within the business including administration and paraplanning before eventually moving into the Financial Planner role.
Robbie holds the Diploma in regulated Financial Planning and is currently working towards the advanced diploma which will enable him to obtain chartered status. Robbie currently looks after a large client bank of both new and long-standing Chartwell clients with over £60m of assets under management.
Outside of work, Robbie is a season ticket holder at Manchester City and enjoys holidays with his wife and son.
Kirsty Hitchen
Financial Planning & Compliance Manager
Kirsty has accumulated around 14 years of experience within the financial services sector, cultivating a diverse skill set through various positions.
Following a solid foundation of 7 years as a Paraplanner, she brings a unique blend of hands-on experience and strategic insight to her current role as the Financial Planning and Compliance Manager here at Chartwell. After obtaining her diploma, she has continued on to complete her advance diploma exams, striving to achieve Chartered status.
Out of the office, Kirsty enjoys hiking, travelling and attending music festivals.
Laura Petrie
Head of Group Pensions
Laura has worked in the Financial Services Industry for 40 years and has a wealth of experience, particularly in the retirement sector. She has worked at Chartwell since 2013 and holds advanced qualifications in Pensions and specialises in Employee Benefits, particularly Group Pensions.
Outside of work, Laura enjoys travel and has her finger on the pulse when it comes to the newest and most fashionable places to eat in Manchester.
George Newton
Financial Planning Associate
George joined Chartwell in 2024 after 8 years experience working across various roles in financial services, predominantly in London.
He started his career in Management Consulting with Ernst & Young (EY) where he focused on leading transformation projects in the Asset & Wealth Management sector, before moving on to join Parthenon, EY’s Corporate Finance and Strategy arm. For the last two years prior to joining Chartwell, he worked for a leading European Hedge Fund. George is currently working towards the Diploma in regulated Financial Planning.
Outside of work, he is a keen footballer and enjoys travelling with his partner.
Arif Jamal
Financial Planner & Investment Specialist
Arif has been with Chartwell since 2019 and after recently completing his final exam, he has achieved his level 4 Financial Advisor qualifications and is now diploma qualified.
He has taken on a multi-faceted role as a desk-based adviser, paraplanner and adviser support, we like to keep him busy! He plans to complete his investments and securities exams and has a keen interest in the investment markets especially less traditional investment markets such as commodities and derivatives.
Outside of work you can find Arif on the golf course, walking his beloved dog Kimba, or in the garden tending to his bonsai collection! He is also a keen Liverpool fan which keeps the office banter interesting!
Nichola McCarthy
Client Service Manager
Nichola is a dedicated member of the Chartwell Financial Services team. She’s currently undertaking her Diploma in regulated financial planning to further enhance her knowledge and interest in the financial advice sector.
Outside the office, you’ll find her pedalling away on her trusty bike, exploring scenic routes and embracing the freedom of the open road. When she’s not on two wheels, Nichola enjoys house renovation projects on her home!
Claire Shelmerdine
Client Service Manager
With over 22 years’ experience in the financial services industry, Claire started her career working for one of the biggest life and pension providers and after 10 years moved to her first IFA practice.
Since then she has worked at two independent financial advisers before joining Chartwell in 2022 as a Client Services Manager. Committed to her personal development she is currently studying towards her certificate in paraplanning. Claire is a big ‘foody’ and loves eating out and cooking!
Outside of the office you will find her in the gym or somewhere outdoors. Claire has two children and lots of her spare time is spent trying to keep them entertained!
Colm Mulhern
Financial Controller
Colm join Chartwell in 2018 and is the Financial Controller for the company.
Colm is ACCA qualified and before joining Chartwell held positions as an Accountant in both large and smaller firms across the UK and Ireland.
Outside of the office, you will find Colm running marathons, open water swimming or completing Triathlons!