Meet the team
Richard Arris
Richard Arris has over 40 years of experience as an investment manager having started his career in the City in the early 1980s. Following the deregulation of the City known as Big Bang he opened Brewin Dolphin’s first mainland branch office outside London in 1990. He ran this for over 20 years until leaving to join the Investment Boutique, a branch of Raymond James Wealth Management (Raymond James), in 2018.
He has a wealth of knowledge and experience of both managing money and getting to know clients and helping them manage their finances. Several families have had four generations benefiting from his advice.
Richard lives in Kent with his wife Davina and whichever of their four grown up children are taking advantage of the family hotel. When he is not working, he can be found riding his motorbike, driving sports cars or listening to the blues. A lover of the outdoors he is also a mountaineer and enjoys country pursuits.
Helena Bakunowicz
After achieving a first-class degree in International Relations from Loughborough, Helena joined a large private client investment manager on their graduate trainee program. Rising to assistant director in just six years, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to set up The Investment Boutique, a branch of Raymond James, in 2017.
A perfectionist by nature, Helena strives to give clients the very best experience. An advocate for sustainability, environmental and governance investing, she sits on the Network for Women Wealth Managers committee and has been recognised by Raymond James who first asked her to represent them at the Aspire Symposium in Florida in 2018. In 2022, she became the first British winner of the Raymond James Woman of Distinction Award but was cheated of the honour of collecting the award in person in Tampa, as even she couldn’t multitask having a baby and a transatlantic flight.
Helena has relocated from London to Surrey with her husband and young family. When she is not at work, she enjoys travel, good food and the occasional exercise class to keep her in shape.
Natasha Mallen
After gaining an English Literature degree from the University of Roehampton, Natasha began her career in financial services with Aegon in 2001. Subsequently, she worked for various Independent Financial Advisers where she obtained qualifications in financial planning.
At The Investment Boutique, a branch of Raymond James, Natasha keeps the show on the road by taking responsibility for the administration team. An integral member of the team, Natasha is much valued by colleagues and clients alike.
She lives locally with her family and enjoys baking cakes, good food and wine.
Stuart Leake
After graduating from City University, Stuart Leake has had a long career in investment management. Starting at Paine Webber in the 1980’s, he worked in Hong Kong before 10 years at Harris Allday and 11 years at Brewin Dolphin, finally joining us in 2019.
As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment, Stuart brings vast knowledge and experience. The careful and reliable attitude he takes to investment is at odds with his skiing style, which has led to the odd tumble over the years.
He is a keen golfer and his latest passion is Elsa, his golden Labrador. He lives in Dorking with his wife, Valerie and has two grown up children.
Lucia Jenkins
Lucia began her career in the motor industry where she progressed through various departments; including finance, corporate sales and for the last 11 years as Marketing Manager for Bentley, Lamborghini and Aston Martin.
Following many successful collaborations, Lucia decided to join Richard and Helena to act as the in-house marketing expert and events planner.
Lucia is highly regarded by everyone and will always hold a special place as she was The Investment Boutique’s first employee.
At home in Caterham, Lucia lives with her husband Brian. She maintains her interest in luxury cars, especially Aston Martins and enjoys interior design. Fluent in Spanish, she is now learning Italian and will be able to order a glass of champagne almost anywhere.
Gabriel Haynes
After Graduating from Durham during Covid lockdown with a 2:1 In Engineering, Gabriel cut his teeth in the world of work as a Market Analyst at Momentum Investment Solutions & Consulting for about a year before joining us, as our Assistant Portfolio Manager.
Outside work, he enjoys fine food and then works it off in the gym. Constantly striving to improve himself, Gabriel is currently grinding his way through the notoriously difficult CFA exams and as if that wasn’t hard enough, he is also learning Dutch.
A valued member of the team, he brings a lot to the party, including the ability to make a spreadsheet so complicated, it almost breaks the computer.
Investment Advisory Committee
Miles Geldard
After reading Oriental Studies at Oxford University Miles has developed a deep understanding of global markets. His career has taken him all over the world from advising the Central Bank of Botswana to Hong Kong with Jardine Fleming and more recently he has been based in London.
He was head of the Global Multi Asset Group at JP Morgan Asset Management before founding and heading up the Multi Asset and Convertibles team at RWC Partners.
More recently he was Head of Strategy Fixed Income and Multi Asset at Jupiter Asset Management.
He is a Non-Executive Director at the Brunel Pension Partnership, a large Local Government Pension Scheme Pool.
He is Chair of CHASE Africa, a charity focused on female empowerment and sexual and reproductive health and rights in East Africa.
With an enviable global reputation, we are delighted that Miles has agreed to sit on our Investment Advisory Committee and grateful that he can find the time.
Miles is a keen philanthropist and conservationist.
Malcolm Basing
Malcolm spent 16 years with UBS, during which he held a number of Global responsibilities including; Swaps and Derivatives, International Loan Portfolio and Trade Finance, finishing as Chief Operating Officer for the Americas. He also served as Chairman of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association and was a member of the G-30 working group on Derivative Risk Management.
After a sabbatical he worked as an employee and then trustee of the City Disputes Panel. Subsequently he ran the London office of Primus Guaranty Ltd.
Now working as an Independent Non-Executive Director, Malcolm is Chair of the board of Wells Fargo Securities International Ltd and previously INED and Chair of the Audit Committee and Compliance Committee of Citi Group Markets Limited and Merrill Lynch Limited as well as Chairman of Plus Markets Group PLC and Newedge UK Finance Ltd.
Malcolm is or has been a director or trustee of a number of charities including the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Honourable Artillery Company, East Potential (part of East Thames Group Housing Association), Westerham Hall and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Pension Fund. He is also a member of the Fellow’s Remuneration Committee of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and the Investment Committee of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
With over 40 years of experience, he brings a broad depth of knowledge of finance, and we are very fortunate that he has kindly agreed to sit on our Investment Advisory Committee.
Malcolm is married, with three children. He enjoys time spent with friends and family, playing tennis, reading and hill walking.
