About Us
Carbon Financial
We are in business to help people realise the life story they have always dreamed of.
So when you achieve ‘financial success’ in whichever guise it takes, this success will be celebrated not only by you but the whole team at Carbon. It is our purpose to make a meaningful impact in your life.
We love a success story. Our team wants to make a meaningful impact on your life. Expect them to celebrate your success and live and breathe your aspirations, every day, as your financial planners and partners in life.
Our Team
Gordon Wilson
Managing Director
Gordon co-founded Carbon in 2011. He began his career as a graduate trainee with Standard Life in 1992 and went on to own his first business, Thomson Shepherd, in 2000. After 8 years of growth through acquisition and organic growth, the majority stake in the business was sold to Skipton Building Society where Gordon was a managing director.
After 12 years of growth, in December 2023 Carbon was acquired by Progeny. Gordon is continuing in his role as managing director of Carbon within the Progeny Group of companies.
An average golfer, Gordon enjoys touring the Perthshire countryside on his bike. He also spends a good deal of time trying to catch the increasingly elusive Scottish salmon.
Shireen Fernie
Operations Director
A founding director at Carbon, Shireen began her financial services career as an administrator straight from school. Thirty-five years later she has probably performed every role in the business so brings a wealth of experience and expertise.
Shireen is responsible for everything in the business except delivering advice so is critical to the smooth running of Carbon.
Shireen is a lover of the outdoors, an avid gardener and loves to read and practice yoga when she has time.
Barry O’Neill
Associate Director
A founding director of Carbon, Barry served his financial services apprenticeship in banking, then spent 12 years at various companies that went on to become Aviva.
Barry has decades of experience in investment strategy and is a member of Carbon’s investment team.
In his spare time, Barry is a Board member at Montrose FC and is Director of Football for Montrose FC Women. He plays the drums and has a passion for live music and travel. Barry was once a part-time lighthouse keeper, but finally saw the light.
> Connect with Barry on LinkedIn
Mark Christie
Director of Financial Planning
A founding director, Mark spent eight years with Standard Life before becoming an independent financial adviser.
A Chartered Financial Planner and Certified Financial Planner with 30 years experience, Mark specialises in advising business owners and helping them to establish how much money they need to ensure they can have all the fun they want without ever running out of money.
A lover of the great outdoors, Mark enjoys mountain biking and tries hard at golf. His greatest passion though is skiing, particularly off-piste.
Alison Whyte
Client Director
Alison has been with Carbon since our first day of trading. She has 30 years experience of working in financial services and has successfully performed a range of administrative and management roles in her career. Alison now focuses on all things client, making sure Carbon delivers exceptional service and great events.
When she’s not working Alison enjoys walking, travel and spending time with friends and family.
Matt Duncan
Associate Director
Matt holds MSC and MA degrees in finance and investment management from the University of Aberdeen. He is also a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.
Matt’s clients include business owners, senior executives and partners in law and accountancy practices. With a detailed knowledge of all aspects of financial planning Matt is well placed to advise on complex financial issues.
A keen player and spectator of many sports, Matt is also interested in current affairs and travel. He harbours an ambition to visit every country in the world.
Richard Wadsworth
Director, Glasgow
While Richard deals with a range of different clients, he works in particular with:
1. Busy individuals and families looking ahead to retirement – typically you are looking for clarity about where you are financially and the practical steps needed to be taken around savings, investments and pensions.
2. Women going through separation or divorce in Scotland where matrimonial assets amount to over £1m – this might be reassurance that the settlement you are negotiating will be enough to live on, and/or what you should do with the pension you are to receive or the investments that will be passed to you.
Clients have used words like ‘professional’, ‘friendly’ and ‘reliable’ to describe Richard (client listening surveys 2022 and 2024).
Richard has over 30 years’ experience as an adviser, starting as a graduate trainee with Standard Life, moving to London to work in investment management, followed by several years advising the partners of EY in-house, and nearly a decade running his own business. In 2012 he joined Carbon.
Richard is a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society (FPFS) and Chartered Financial Planner, as well as a PFS mentor. He holds the internationally-recognised Certified Financial Planner (CFP) qualification and is a former CFP examiner. He is an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and a Registered Life Planner.
Outside of work Richard loves spending time with family, cycling, and learning to play and coach hockey.
Darren Lees
Associate Director
Darren is a Chartered Financial Planner. A law graduate, Darren began his career on Carbon’s graduate training programme. After he qualified he joined an independent financial adviser in London before moving to Coutts Private Bank where he advised entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals.
Darren works with clients in Scotland and London. His clients include business owners, senior executives and partners in law and accountancy practices. With a detailed knowledge of all aspects of financial planning Darren is well placed to advise on complex financial issues.
When not at work, Darren can be found spending time with his family, on the golf course or at a sports stadium.
John Bell
Technical Director
John graduated with an MA in business and economics. He is a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner.
As technical director, John has detailed understanding of most aspects of financial advice and planning. He also chairs Carbon’s investment team.
A massive film fan, John is a regular at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and once met Kevin Bacon.
Gary Wright
Associate Director
Gary graduated from Heriot-Watt University with an MA (Hons) in accountancy and finance. He is a Chartered Financial Planner, and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society. He also has the Certificate in Discretionary Investment Management and is studying for his Chartered Tax Adviser qualification.
Gary’s clients include business owners, senior executives and partners in law and accountancy practices. With a detailed knowledge of all aspects of financial planning Gary is well placed to advise on complex financial issues.
A golf and rugby fan, Gary actively supports several charities. He also enjoys dining in good restaurants.
Iain Harper
Associate Director
Iain graduated with MA (Hons) in business studies and economics from the University of Edinburgh, is a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.
Iain advises clients from a broad range of backgrounds on pre and post retirement matters and investment.
Outside of work, Iain’s main interests are rugby, golf, hillwalking and cycling.
Liam Kerr
Director, Aberdeen
With a BA in International Business and Spanish, Liam is a Chartered Financial Planner.
Liam works in our Aberdeen office and advises clients from a wide range of backgrounds on pre and post retirement issues and investment.
Liam loves to play and watch most sports. He may be at his happiest when walking his dog Ted in the beautiful countryside of the North East.
Polly Milne
Financial Planner
Polly graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc (Hons) in Physiology. Following graduation, Polly became a Chartered Accountant working within Audit and then Banking before moving into Financial Planning to work more closely with individuals looking to achieve confidence and clarity around their finances.
Polly is a Chartered Financial Planner based in our Edinburgh office and looks after a range of clients across the country, including those with pre- and post-retirement issues, and individuals going through major life changes such as divorce and bereavement.
Away from the office Polly enjoys getting out into the Scottish countryside with her labrador Nellie, skiing, and has recently found a new interest in Crossfit (even if the lungs don’t always enjoy it!)
Jonathan Young
Financial Planner
Jonathan Young is a Financial Planner with Carbon. This is actually his second stint with Carbon, having originally worked in the business a few years ago. He explored opportunities with another wealth management business but ultimately came back as he preferred the culture here and trusts the senior management in their vision for the company and his career. Jonathan had a slightly unusual journey into financial planning as his degree from Strathclyde University was in English. When leaving University, the careers for that degree were driven towards teaching which was something he wasn’t interested in. Instead, he went to work for a pensions provider and worked his way into becoming a technical expert in pensions. He then decided to move into financial planning in 2016 for more diversity which has been the area he has remained in ever since.
Zoë Cullen
Financial Planner
Zoë’s career in Financial Services began studying Finance & Business at Abertay University. Zoë is working towards becoming a Chartered Financial Planner. Zoë has experience of advising on a range of financial situations which might include complex pensions or more conventional investment solutions.
Zoë’s passion for her clients and their families allows them to benefit from a personal and unique experience.
Out of working hours Zoë can be found in the hills with the dog, socialising with her friends and family or annoying her loved ones with motivational/inspirational quotes!
Michael Wilson
Financial Planner
Michael graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Mathematical Studies from Heriot Watt University. He is a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.
Michael joined Carbon as a Graduate Trainee and has performed a variety of roles throughout the business, most recently transitioning into the role of Financial Planner.
Away from work, Michael is heavily involved in his local church and enjoys playing football, going to the gym and travelling.
Felicity Morris
Financial Planner
Felicity began her career in Financial Services in Chester, before relocating to Bristol, and finally Edinburgh in order to progress through various roles. Felicity is a Chartered Financial Planner who understands that ensuring your financial “health” is top notch allows you to relax and enjoy the rest of your life.
Outside of work, Felicity is a keen climber and looks forward to bagging 282 Munros, in addition to Kitesurfing along beautiful stretches of the Scottish coastline. Of course, to fuel those hobbies, Felicity spends plenty of time baking and cooking.
> Connect with Felicity on LinkedIn
Dean McFarlane
Financial Planner
Dean graduated with a BA(Hons) in Accounting and Finance from Robert Gordon University. He holds the CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning and hopes to complete his exams to attain Chartered Status in 2024. Outside of work, Dean enjoys strength training and weekend walks with his family.
George Sampson
Financial Planner
George studied at the University of Edinburgh and holds an MA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance. George joined Carbon in 2018 and has since achieved chartered financial planner status. When not at work George is a very keen golfer, likes to keep fit and watch live sporting events with his friends.
LIFE
The LIFE acronym describes what you can expect from our planning team:
L – Listening:
We will actively listen to you, so we understand what is most important to you.
I – Invested:
We will be deeply committed to helping you realise the life you want to live.
F – Friendly:
We care about what we do and we care about our clients. We are approachable and there to help you.
E – Empathetic:
We understand the challenges money brings, both too much of it and too little of it. We also understand how difficult it can be to talk about money. We get it.
Friendly and place customer first. They take the stress away from financial planning and provide clear and easy to understand advice
Carbon client testimonial
Our Values
We will always be the best we can be, going the extra mile for our clients and providing the best quality advice and service. We invest heavily in training and personal development so each member of our team is supported to reach their potential.
We will always do the right thing for our clients, our team and our communities. The advice our clients receive will be no different from the advice we would give to ourselves or members of our own family.
We are free to be different, our independence means we are not constrained by industry conventions. Our plans begin with the end in mind, allowing our clients to live their dreams. We are no ordinary financial advice business.
Living our values
At Carbon, we pride ourselves over the care we take with both our clients and employees.
Extra client care
We appreciate that there are times where our clients need a bit more support. This could be to a small extent in the short term or greater assistance over a longer period.
To show our ongoing commitment, we have adopted the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce’s Charter, a set of standards created by industry experts to promote greater understanding, encourage appropriate behaviours, and establish good practice in respect of consumer vulnerability.
The FVT is an independent professional body, more information can be found here - Home | Financial Vulnerability Taskforce (fvtaskforce.com)
Team wellbeing
A key asset to any business is its staff and we want our team to feel and work at their best. When we are stressed, our brains don't work as well. It also isn’t good for our health or the quality of work we produce for clients.
The emergence of remote and hybrid working has brought a range of efficiencies but we recognise that it has never been more important to be considerate about how we communicate.
This is why we have signed up to the Mindful Business Charter, the aim of which is to remove unnecessary sources of stress and promote better mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. For info can be found here - Mindful Business Charter | Re-humanising the workplace
Carbon also has a wellbeing team, created to promote personal wellbeing within the business and offer a range of support.
Start writing the rest of your life story
Get in touch with our Financial Planners today.
Part of The Progeny Group
Progeny is independent financial planning, investment management, tax services, property, HR and legal counsel, all in one place.
Carbon Financial Partners, part of The Progeny Group, is a trading name of Carbon Financial Partners Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference 536900.
Carbon Financial Partners Limited is registered in Scotland. Company registration number SC386400. Registered Address: 61 Manor Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7EG. Carbon Financial Partners Limited is part of The Progeny Group Limited.
© Carbon Financial Partners 2025
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