Aspira People

Derek Miles
Managing Director

As our MD, Derek has more than 20 years' experience in a range of financial services, having worked at NatWest, Sun Life and Standard Life, among others. He holds the G60 advanced qualification in pensions, and has an in-depth knowledge of the UK pensions landscape.

Derek founded Aspira with four partners in 2003 as a start-up corporate IFA. In the five years since, the business has grown to employ 30 staff, looking after more than 80 companies' financial benefits schemes across the UK. It acts for more than 5,000 individual clients, including some 150 high net worth individuals.

Louise Porter
PA to the Managing Director

Louise is the Personal Assistant to the Managing Director, Derek Miles. She has been with Aspira from its earliest days, helping the founding Directors set up the business and enjoying the success along the way.

She has over 20 years' experience in the financial services industry, starting her career with Standard Life in the administration department and working her way up to becoming the Personal Assistant to the Branch Manager.

Andy Chidgey
Operations Director

Andy has 22 years' experience in the financial services industry, with almost a decade spent at AMP in Australia.

He has fulfilled a variety of roles throughout his career, working at all levels from General Administration right through to his current post as Operations Director with Aspira. These positions have enabled him to acquire a breadth of experience in the fields of customer service, administration, compliance, IT and human resources.

With a passion for customers, people and service, backed by unfailing enthusiasm, he's the ideal person to lead Aspira's operational activities.

Charles Keirl
Finance and Marketing Director

Charles covers finance and marketing for Aspira. It's something of an unusual mix, but more understandable when you take a look at his career - he holds a Town Planning degree, oversaw a US software firm's European roll-out, gained an MBA at Manchester Business School, founded market research specialist Customer Insight, was appointed FD of Silverwood Group (sold in 2007) and then non-exec Chairman of Aspira for four years before joining full-time in 2007.

Charles is based in Cheshire but can be frequently found at Aspira's Bristol offices, championing the causes of service standards and customer focus.

John Haines
Director

John is a founder director of Aspira, and has over 16 years' experience in the financial services industry, with the last twelve years being in the independent advice sector.

John's role at Aspira involves maintaining and developing the existing corporate customer base. He has recently represented Aspira on behalf of the FSA's "Making the most of your money" initiative, which sees Aspira volunteering its time to present the programme for and on behalf of the FSA to employees in the workplace.

Rob Clarke
Director

Rob is also a founder director of Aspira and has worked for 19 years in the financial services sector, including 17 of those as an Independent Financial Adviser.

His role at Aspira sees him maintaining and developing our existing corporate customer base, but he has also remained in contact with many of his individual clients - some of whom are now personal friends.

Allison Price
Customer Service Manager

Allison has more than a decade of experience in a range of financial services roles, including administration and compliance, and also financial advice with Canada Life, Money Extra and Bristol and West.

Allison holds the Financial Planning Certificate and is currently studying to achieve the J07 qualification in Supervision in a Regulatory Environment.

Allison has worked for Aspira for four years. She organises and supervises all of the administrative activities within Aspira and facilitates the smooth running of Aspira's administrative team. Allison is ultimately responsible for the efficiency of the office and its 10 administrators.

Val Shuker
Compliance Manager

Val works in Compliance for Aspira, and is involved in co-ordination, administration and support. She has been employed in various roles in financial services and insurance since the early 1990s (including Abbey National, Endsleigh Insurance and Save & Prosper, amongst others).

She worked closely with the founding Directors of Aspira before its creation - and has moved from a Personal Assistant/Administration role to Compliance (undertaking the necessary examinations to formalise this during 2004).