The firm said the new CEO’s appointment forms part of a broader evolution of the senior management team within Castlefield to support long-term growth plans.

Manchester-headquartered Castlefield, an employee-owned investment and financial planning specialist known as the Thoughtful Investor®, has appointed Matt Ralph (pictured) as chief executive officer, with immediate effect. Ralph, previously head of client management, is taking over from Castlefield founder John Eckersley, who became non-executive chair and is still closely involved with the business.

Ralph's appointment forms part of a broader evolution of the senior management team within Castlefield to support the firm’s long-term growth plans. The leadership team comprises:

-- Rupert Lovesy – partner, chief client officer, previously head of client engagement and advice;
-- Mark Elliott – Partner, Chief Investment Officer, previously Head of Investment Management;
-- Kathryn Holland – chief financial officer, previously head of finance;
-- Ita McMahon – chief stewardship officer, previously head of stewardship;
-- Ewelina N Wilson – chief of staff, previously head of people and improvement;
-- Sarah Hanlon – chief compliance and risk officer, previously head of risk and compliance; and
-- Summayya Mosam – chief information officer, previously head of client services and IT.

Castlefield has also made several other senior appointments from within the business. Partners Tom McCoy and Simon Holman have been appointed head of financial planning and head of client portfolio services respectively, while Bronwyn Riley has been promoted to partner.

"One of my ambitions when establishing Castlefield was to build a business that would thrive well beyond its founder,” Eckersley said. “Matt's appointment as CEO is an important milestone in that journey. Since joining Castlefield in 2018, Matt has made a significant contribution to the business, helping to shape the firm's strategy and supporting its continued growth. He embodies the values that have shaped Castlefield over more than two decades, and is ideally placed to lead the business into its next chapter.”