Karen has 15 years of financial services marketing experience, having previously worked for Abbey and Bradford and Bingley subsidiary Mortgage Express. Karen joined unbiased.co.uk in 2001 and has held the role of Chief Executive since October 2009. She has overseen the delivery of the successful PR campaign, rebranded IFA Promotion as Unbiased Ltd, capitalising on the company’s strong online consumer profile and developed the business strategy to take unbiased.co.uk forward in an increasingly digital age. Karen enjoys cooking (and eating!) recently winning the company ‘Come Dine with Unbiased’ in-house challenge and raises money for the Royal Brompton Paediatric ICU.
Meet the team
-
Karen Barrett, Chief Executive -
Fran Knight, Senior Marketing & PR ManagerFran is a Chartered Marketer, and achieved a 2:1 degree in International Business Studies which included a year in industry working in pensions administration for Punter Southall Group. Fran manages all unbiased.co.uk marketing activities including delivering new business initiatives and identifying opportunities for unbiased.co.uk to work with industry partners. Fran has travelled across Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway and has recently discovered a passion for snowboarding.
-
Merinda Arico, Marketing & PR ExecutiveMerinda, the newest member to the team, holds a Bachelor of Business from University of Technology, Sydney and Stockholm University, majoring in Marketing and International Business Studies. From Sydney, Australia, Merinda has worked in financial services since 2006 within relationship management and marketing roles. Merinda enjoys an active lifestyle, travelling to new places and writing a blog.
-
Chris Carter, Business Development ManagerChris has over twenty five years’ sales and relationship management experience in financial services. He has been a successful IFA and was Sales Director at Garston Amhurst Associates. He also worked at the Skandia group representing both their onshore and offshore propositions. More recently he worked with the Skandia Investment Solutions platform as a Business consultant, assisting IFAs with their transition towards RDR. He has a passion for rock climbing and hill walking, having recently completed Alfred Wainwright’s “Coast to Coast” walk taking in the three National Parks in the north of England.
-
Clare Kissane, Director, Administration & FinanceHaving graduated from Cambridge in 1981 with a 2:1 in Classics, Clare qualified as a Chartered Secretary while gaining experience in finance and admin at a number of blue chip companies and a few years in the charity sector. Clare has been working at unbiased.co.uk since 2002 and is responsible for legal, financial and HR aspects of the day to day running of the business. Clare is an experienced sailor and has sailed to many corners of the globe including Majorca and Sardinia. When on dry land Clare is a keen photographer.
-
Kaja Andersen, Team AdministratorHailing from Melbourne Australia Kaja is a keen traveller with plans to explore the world, but for now she is our Team Administrator. After completing her final semester here in the UK, Kaja graduated from University with a double degree in Marketing and Event Management. Kaja provides invaluable support to the team in all areas of unbiased.co.uk’s Head Office operations from office administration to marketing support.