Chartered Financial Planner firm Prest Financial Planning of Stockport is continuing its expansion with two significant new appointments.

The Stockport firm has recruited Simon Baggott as practice and operations manager and David Kershaw as a Paraplanner to support its continued growth.

Mr Baggott has worked in financial services for the last 14 years and will be responsible for the administration of the business. Part of his job is also to ensure client service is of “the highest quality.”

Mr Kershaw brings 20 years’ experience in financial services to his role as a Paraplanner. He will provide research and technical support to Prest financial advisers.

During his career he has worked in administration, compliance and Paraplanning roles.

In addition to these appointments, Prest has also recently promoted Paraplanner Ashley Baker to the role of Financial Planner and longstanding Financial Planning support team member Zoe Cullen has recently completed her Diploma in Financial Planning, enabling her to move into a more technical role, the firm says.

The family-run business founded in 1961 manages assets worth £350m on behalf of clients and has grown in recent years. Prest added £43m in new client funds in 2018.

Graham Prest, chief executive, said, “I am really pleased to welcome Simon and David to the team. As we continue to grow they will both play key roles in delivering the fantastic administration and support that will be essential to the achievement of our full potential.

“Simon is already getting stuck into a range of operational issues and we expect this to pay real dividends for us in terms of efficient workflows and an even slicker client experience. David, meanwhile, is proving a real asset to our Paraplanning department, delivering vital support and research that makes a real difference to our clients.”

Prest Financial Planning serves clients mainly in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the surrounding areas. Specialist areas include retirement planning, pension transfers, estate and inheritance tax planning, long-term care funding and ethical investments. It is based in Hazel Grove, near Stockport.