Biographies

Andy Little - to follow shortly

Iain Rankin

Iain grew up and went to school in the Chiltern Hills near his hometown of High Wycombe. After successfully completing A Levels he joined a local Insurance Company, Equity & Law. During his 4-year spell at this company he started studying towards professional qualifications and acquired considerable technical knowledge, building the foundations for a greater and better future. 

Iain has always been interested and actively participates in sport and general fitness. As a younger adult he served 3 years in the Territorial Army. The experience left a positive and lasting impression and he feels there have been no end of benefits to his career in financial services. 

Iain moved job and location to join another major Insurance Company in order to pursue a career within a sales role. However, it was not long before the opportunity presented itself to move back ‘home’. Now married, Iain and his wife moved back to their roots. Iain has lived with his family close to the Chiltern escarpment ever since. Although still interested in sport and working out at the gym, much time is taken in supporting his children in their chosen sporting activities and providing them with positive encouragement. He still supports the local football team, Wycombe Wanderers, and occasionally gets to watch the games with his son. He can also be seen walking the family dog in the “hills”.

Following two other progressive career moves, Iain joined Emery Little Financial Services as a partner in March 2000. At the date of the merger with Cresswell Cadenhead, Iain had been providing independent financial advice for over 17 years. 

Today Iain provides independent financial advice to both individuals and companies. Although, like ELCC, Iain takes a holistic approach to the provision of advice, he has particular expertise within investment, pensions and taxation. 

Iain is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII), Associate of the Personal Finance Society (APFS) and holds the coveted Chartered Financial Planner title. 

Mike Cresswell

After a traditional education that involved doing a few examinations in between playing sport, Mike graduated from Liverpool University with an honours degree in Medieval & Modern History and was faced with the reality of having a develop a career.

After some deliberation, the world of investments and pensions seemed quite exciting at the time and it is has proved to suit Mike’s abilities, talents and general raison d’etre. He soon realised that the industry pastime is golf and as being a reasonable golfer is one of the products of his mis-spent youth, this worked out well. Although peaking many years ago, Mike still maintains a handicap of 5 and plays at lots of courses; but is a member at Berkhamsted Golf Club.

Early passions heavily involved football, both playing and watching; this hasn’t changed as yet. Mike still regularly plays 5-a-side, although the player-cam would not need a skilled operator to track him one-to-one these days. By dint of living in Watford for twenty years and having an equally football mad son, Mike is a season ticket at Vicarage Road. However, his real passion is Ipswich Town and as a Suffolk boy, has followed the Tractor Boys through the good times (few) and the not so good times, which are more frequent in today’s footballing environment.

It is just a few Ipswich away games a season only nowadays, but the love is still strong and it is always pleasing that the style of football hasn’t changed. Mike manages his son’s Under-10s team, who have yet to understand his passion for the beautiful Town passing game; but they are getting there.

Delighted as ever to be married to Joanne, who has the patience of a Saint; they have two fantastic children; Tabitha and Max. One of the important things in life is spending some time at the weekend doing ‘stuff’ with the kids, which as well as football training, includes the inevitable homework, walking the dog in all weathers, swimming, golf and whatever else we can fit in.

Mike’s other activities include being a member of two School Governing Bodies, having recently stepped down as Chair of one of them. This can be quite intensive at times, but is generally extremely rewarding and has complementary benefits with some of things that he does at work. Mike is a Senior Examiner for the Chartered Insurance Institute, helping to edit and write exam questions, but also to scrutineer new exam papers.

The final over-riding passion is music. Although he cannot read music and now hasn’t got time to learn to play an instrument, Mike is a regular ‘gigger’ and follows two bands, almost incessantly, who are R.E.M. and Half Man Half Biscuit. This does stretch harmonious relations at home on occasion, as HMHB tend to play northern venues on a Thursday night, so arriving home from Carlisle at 3 a.m. is not popular! But, Mike is still an indie kid at heart and there is usually some music blasting away in the car or at home.

Peter Cadenhead 

Not surprisingly Peter remembers little of his birth and very early childhood in Canada. The earliest memories of a return to Britain were in 1966 watching the World Cup final with a gathering of the indifferent Scottish clan.

The family eventually settled down in Leicestershire and after an enjoyable grammer school education in Loughborough, Peter attended Birmingham University to study History.  

A move to financial services was never planned (it seldom seems to be) but came after a try for a career in accountancy. Peter’s first financial services job started in July 1984 based in the heart of London’s west end and involved advising parents in planning and saving for the costs of private education. These days provided an excellent grounding in investments, insurances and general advisory skills.

In 1993 a move to a major Building Society was completed to broaden experience and knowledge. Promotion into management roles followed allowing further skills to be developed. But ultimately a desire to be more independent and enterprising took over and led to a switch back to the independent advisory community.

Along with Mike Cresswell, Peter formed Cresswell Cadenhead & Co Ltd in early 2001 to offer bespoke personal financial planning to clients. Along the way, Peter has successfully studied for and passed relevant professional exams.

Spare time has always involved sport with Peter’s golf peaking at age sixteen with a handicap of four. He is a member of Berkhamsted Golf Club although now trying miserably to hold onto a handicap of six. Whenever possible a real passion these days is playing on the great golf courses of the British Isles with good companions, good food and a little wine. Veterans five a side football and pilates are regular and enjoyable commitments carried out in the vain attempt to maintain some kind of fitness and flexibility. Peter retains a love of history with a particular interest for military history.

Peter follows Leicester City (the Foxes) as his football team although successes are thin on the ground these days. On the other hand greater satisfaction has been had from following Leicester Tigers.        

Married with two teenage boys, life is never dull away from financial services.