Stefano Del Federico Chartered FCSI

Founder & CEO, Chartered Wealth Manager

Stefano is an innovative and experienced business leader who has devised and created ground-breaking divisions within large and well respected financial institutions. He has been at the forefront of the wealth management industry for more than 25 years and held senior positions with Santander, Société Générale Private Banking, and as Managing Director and founder of respected Multi-Family Offices acting for Wealthy Families and Entrepreneurs.

Stefano is also a retained strategic board adviser to a number of businesses in various industry sectors, and also undertakes Mergers & Acquisition mandates on their behalf in the UK and internationally.

He is passionate about supporting aspiring entrepreneurs and the next generation of business titans, by providing leadership and insightful mentorship to help fulfil their ambitions.

Chris Darbyshire 

Chief Investment Officer

Chris is our Chief Investment Officer and is responsible for all aspects of the investment process and function. He has specialised in strategic asset allocation, tactical asset allocation and security-selection for over a decade, principally at Seven Investment Management where – as Chief Investment Officer – he led a team pioneering the use of low-cost, passive investments in multi-asset portfolios. Latterly he was also the Chief Investment Officer at Walker Crips Group PLC, where he also shared management responsibility for the investment management division. Prior to his career as a CIO, Chris worked in investment banking, specialising in structured products at Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas. While at BNP Paribas, Chris also led the bank’s equity research team for the media industry. Chris is a graduate of Oxford University.

Julia Smith 

Technical Analyst

Julia is an accomplished investment professional with 20 years’ experience in wealth management, trading, portfolio construction, and risk management. She began her career with Arthur Andersen before moving into investment banking and trading at firms including Merrill Lynch, UBS, and Credit Lyonnais across London, Paris, and Milan. She went on to specialise in equity sales trading, asset management, and portfolio strategy, later holding roles at Rathbone Brothers focused on business development and investment solutions for high-net-worth and strategic clients.

Julia has studied at some of London’s most prestigious universities and gained industry qualifications across accounting, corporate finance, sustainability, trading, and wealth management. She holds an MSc in Investment Management and has been recognised for high-performing results in the Chartered Wealth Manager examinations.

Chris Edmeades 

Regulatory Compliance, Risk & Governance

Chris is a partner at Minerva DFM Support Services and leads the coordination of the compliance and risk strategy for us. As a former Chief Risk Officer and Group Executive Director of a London Stock Exchange listed asset manager, Chris has used his significant experience and knowledge to great effect, supporting firms within investment management operations and compliance.

Anthony Bull 

Board Adviser

After a 20 year career in mid-market private equity, Anthony is now Chairman of several fast growing businesses where he helps the companies establish the building blocks for growth. He enjoys working with entrepreneurial owners of businesses who are ambitious and want to challenge the status quo. This will often require addressing succession issues and transitioning from a family or owner managed business to one where key roles are filled by non-family members. This requires sensitivity, tact and perseverance which he has developed over his private equity career.