The Farley & Thompson Team
Michael Merridew
Michael heads the firm with which he has been associated since he finished his National Service in 1959. In 1979, on becoming Senior Partner, he moved the growing firm to its present home in Pine Grange. Michael has always been particularly keen to encourage clients to follow wise investment principles, avoiding possibly risky or impetuous moods. This is the modus operandi of all the partners today. Although receiving many approaches over the years, Michael is proud that Farley & Thompson LLP remains an independent member of the London Stock Exchange. Michael enjoys playing tennis and badminton and watching sport; he regularly walks to and from the office.
Colin Chalkly-Maber
Colin read psychology at Aberdeen where he was proud to captain the ski club. He trained as a chartered accountant, becoming a senior manager with Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC). He entered the financial services industry in 1987 taking up a number of key posts. Before joining Farley & Thompson in 1999 as a partner he enjoyed a secondment to manage a leprosy rehabilitation project for TEAR Fund in Kathmandu and became finance director at Frizzell Group. Colin is passionate about reducing social exclusion and has been Honorary Treasurer of Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA) since 2002. He is married with 3 children, is involved with his local church, enjoys sailing and still skis.
Philip Harvey
Philip joined JP Morgan as a graduate trainee in 1987 and spent the next ten years in both London and New York as a securities trader. Subsequently, he worked as a private client advisor for both Prudential Bache and Barclays Stockbrokers before joining Farley & Thompson as a partner in 2003. Philip lives in Poole with his wife and three children. He is a trained educator for Evaluate, a charity providing relationship education programs in local secondary schools. He divides his spare time between cycling, water sports and spending time with his children and is a member of his local church.
Martin Poole
Martin Poole joined Nat West bank from school, moving to the Middlesex financial services team at Black Horse (part of Lloyds TSB Group). There he widened his experience before moving to the city. Martin traded in equities for ten years, before becoming a partner at Farley & Thompson. Martin plays a key role in developing our important relationships with professional clients, particularly law practices that manage trusts. He encourages exploratory meetings, either at professional clients’ offices or at our Bournemouth office. Together with his wife and two young sons the Poole family live in Christchurch. Martin, a life-long West Ham follower, also enthusiastically supports AFC Bournemouth.
Steve Jeffery
With over 30 years experience in advising clients, stockbroker Steve Jeffery has covered virtually every discipline within the stockbroking portfolio. He began his career at Cotterell & Company, later working alongside Bob Hipkiss at Robson Cotterell. For five years, Steve played lead guitar and sang lead vocals with the soft rock band ‘Sails’. However, these days when time allows he is more likely to be found on the golf course. He holds a season ticket at AFC Bournemouth.
Bob Hipkiss
Bob joined Barclays after leaving Grammar School, working in Kidderminster, Birmingham and Cradley Heath. He went on to develop what has become a lifetime’s career in stockbroking, alongside Anthony Beaumont-Dark MP a partner at Smith Keen Barnett, eventually heading the investment department. Joining local firm Robson Cotterell around 1977, Bob spent the next 25 years evolving his portfolio management experience. Bob’s outside interests include using his season ticket at AFC Bournemouth and he also follows Poole Speedway. A keen golfer, Bob has been secretary of the Hardy B League which comprises thirty Dorset Golf Clubs.