About Us, our Team, our History and Why the Frog …
The Golden Rule
“Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself”
– Confucius
The first partner of LilleyCo Financial Services began in business in 1990 and many of these first clients and their families are still active clients today. The business has changed name a couple of times over the past 30 plus years as partners have retired and we continue to be forward thinking and refreshing our brand to reflect what we do.
Our approach is to encourage continual organic growth in the business through word of mouth introductions from existing clients under the philosophy that if you are not growing, at best you are stagnating and more likely to be in decline! This engenders a progressive growing environment at all levels affording opportunity for all.
We are an advice-based business and part of one of the largest financial advice networks in the UK – The Openwork Partnership comprises over 4,500 financial advisers in 800 firms supported by 600 colleagues in central teams, 1.2 million clients and over £11 billion in funds under management. The Openwork Partnership provide us with the support services, expert guidance, scale and a vast pool of experience and resource that we need to prosper.
Our offices are based in the beautiful Berkshire Downs (part of the North Wessex Downs, designated as a National Landscape formerly known as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB). At Shefford Woodlands we are close to Lambourn and the Valley of the Racehorse, The Ridgeway, Hungerford, Newbury and Wantage. Although in the countryside, we are easily accessible, only 4 minutes from Junction 14 of the M4 and 15 minutes from the A34.
The Berkshire Downs between Lambourn and Ashbury
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Andrew Smith - geograph.org.uk/p/726553
Why the Frog …?
LilleyCo respects and understands the importance of planning your finances correctly for you; but we like to deliver our services in a way that makes your journey with us an easy, and as far as possible, a fun one. We are a small team and value our clients and like to engage with them. The frog has different meanings in different cultures, but perhaps with the company name being LilleyCo the connection was inevitable…!
The frog is most famous in Chinese culture as a sign of prosperity. Ch’an Chu, the three-legged money frog, is a popular statue believed to attract or protect its owner’s wealth. In Feng Shui — the art of planning and building structures to maximize harmony between individuals and the universe — frogs are recognized as a sign of affluence.
Frogs are also good luck symbols in Japan – especially for travellers, images or charms were worn during long voyages to assure safety (particularly across water).
The Celtic meaning is that the Frog was deemed lord over all the earth, and the Celts believed it represented curative or healing powers because of its connection with water and cleansing rains.
And ….
That from a financial perspective, it is the “Lilley” pad that keeps our client’s financial heads above water and LilleyCo that can guide you through your ‘financial waters’, be they troubled or full of opportunity.
Either way – we like to think that we can keep what is a serious and important subject smooth and calm through working with us here at LilleyCo.
Did you know…
The term “steeplechase” originated in this region, where it originally referred to a race between two villages. Participants would navigate by using the church steeples, visible across the rolling downs, as reference points.
Meet the team
“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”
- Walt Disney
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Paul Lilley
Practice Principal and Financial Adviser
Paul started in practice in 1995, originally with Allied Dunbar and then with the Zurich Advice Network. Paul owns and leads the business and was a founder member of The Openwork Partnership in 2005. Paul is a chartered practitioner and licensed across wealth and mortgage and protection and as the business has grown still remains directly engaged with prospective and existing clients.
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Tiffany Saul
Financial Adviser and Practice Manager
Tiffany has been at LilleyCo since 2010 and has grown with the business from starting as our first member of staff. Initially an administrator and subsequently Practice Manager and now also a qualified Financial Adviser. Tiffany actively supports clients on an ongoing basis and the day-to-day management of the business.
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Vicki Coultas
Mortgage and Protection Adviser
Vicki has been with the business since 2019 starting as an administrator in Mortgage and Protection and now qualified as an adviser leading our mortgage and protection desk. Vicki provides specialist advice in this department directly with clients and also provides technical support to our other advisers focussing on Wealth.
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Emma Hardwicke
Practice administrator – Wealth
Emma started with LilleyCo in 2021 following a varied career as an administrator in and outside of financial services. Emma is our most senior administrator leading our Wealth administration with diligence and integrity. Emma is directly involved in new and existing client activity and is our point of contact for supervising our ongoing servicing.
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Paris Ruddock
Practice Administrator – Wealth
Paris joined LilleyCo from a mortgage practice in 2023 to develop her financial services career into Wealth administration. Now familiar with our systems and taking full responsibility for the administration of client activity, she is a valuable member of our Wealth administration team
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Sara Canniffe
Practice Administrator – Wealth
Sara joined LilleyCo from a recruitment business in 2023 entirely new to financial services. Sara has mastered our application, CRM, and regulatory processes and is now able to take direct control of client activities and provides a valuable contribution to our Wealth administration team.
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Emma Cartner
Practice Administrator – Mortgage and Protection
Emma joined us in 2023 following many years as an adviser with Nationwide Building Society and has brought with her valuable technical support in navigating the choices the mortgage and protection market offers. Emma’s skills focus on gathering and recording client data, analysis and research and presenting options.
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Tracey Hendry
Practice Administrator – Wealth
Tracey brings experience in financial services from the world of stockbroking administration. Tracey provides additional administration capacity to our wealth proposition.
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Helen Fisher
Practice Administrator – Wealth
Helen is the most recent member of our team, providing further support for our wealth clients. Helen has a financial services background, specifically in pensions administration.