Steve Martin CFP™ Chartered MCSI
Director
Chartered Wealth Manager
Certified Financial Planner
Steve, 46, is originally from Ayr in Scotland but moved to Altrincham in 2003 now lives full time in Spain. He is a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner (CFP™) as well as a Chartered Wealth Manager, a holder of the Investment Management Certificate and is a former Assessor of the CFP™ licence.
Steve founded Smart Financial Planning Limited in 2008 and serves as it chief executive. He also founded Smart SSAS, a pension trustee business in 2011 and Smart Divorce, a divorce specialism in 2018 and released the Change The Future programme in 2020. In 2021 he launched Smart Financial International to support clients moving out of the uk into Europe.
He was Chair of the Manchester branch of the Institute of Financial Planning for 5 years before standing down in 2015.
Steve is married with two children, is an Ironman Triathlete, a keen runner and a CrossFit level 1 coach and is a committed fund raiser for the CF Warriors and the Cystic Fibrosis trust.
Steve has over 20 years’ experience in the profession, having been a Partner and Managing Director of previous firms.
Steve specialises in advising business owners as both a financial planner and a business consultant as well as expatriating UK nationals.
Steve and Damien host the Financial Life Coach Podcast
Damien Rylett
Director
Chartered Financial Planner
Damien is an experienced Chartered Financial Planner with over 25 years in the profession, and a passionate advocate for the power of great financial planning to transform people’s lives. As a Director and trainer at the Financial Planning Training Academy, he brings that passion directly into the development of the next generation of financial planners.
At the Academy, Damien trains and coaches financial advisers in the soft skills and behavioural techniques that are the hallmark of truly great financial planning. He understands first-hand what it takes to make the transition from transactional adviser to life-centred financial planner – and he brings that lived experience to every training session. His goal is simple: to equip planners with the skills, confidence and mindset to deliver life-changing outcomes for their clients.
Alongside his Academy work, Damien is an Exit Partner at Pathfinders, where he works with financial planning business owners to navigate one of the most significant transitions of their professional lives – exiting their business and moving into retirement. Drawing on his own deep experience as a business founder, his coaching background and his expertise in life-centred financial planning, Damien is uniquely placed to support business owners through this journey.
Damien’s career began in 1997 with Standard Life. He subsequently held senior roles at Broadoak Group and Chartwell before founding Brunel Capital Partners in 2011 – a Chartered Financial Planning firm that grew to acquire Pilgrim Financial Planning and co-launch IronBright Investment Management, before merging with Saltus in 2022. Damien was a regional director and member of the senior leadership team at Saltus before deciding to step away in 2025.
A committed professional, Damien has served as IFP Branch Manager, Conference Chairman, and Chair of the PFS Financial Planning Practitioner Panel. He also coaches academy rugby at the Premiership club, Bristol Bears.
Tamsin Caine MSc., CFPTM Chartered MCSI
Trainer
Head of Financial Planning – Smart Financial
Tamsin joined Smart Financial in January 2015. She had 15 years’ experience in financial services in businesses from a small family company to a large PLC. Since meeting Steve Martin about 10 years’ ago, during his time as chair of the local IFP branch, Tamsin had wanted to work with him, providing lifestyle financial planning to clients. Having secured her dream job, she soon discovered that transforming from a traditional transactional IFA to a lifestyle financial planner was not as easy as she had anticipated. However, 2 years’ on and too many role plays to count, she is now helping others through the academy and mentoring several new and existing planners.
Having completed a Masters in Financial Planning and Business Management at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2015, Tamsin now works as an Associate Lecturer at the university in the Accounting and Finance department.
She now uses a combination of teaching at the university and coaching skills developed on the rugby field to help to develop successful lifestyle financial planners.
Antony Smith CFPTM Chartered MCSI
Trainer
Founder – Providus Financial
Antony is a Chartered Financial Planner, CFP® professional, and the founder of Providus Financial, where he helps clients live more meaningful lives by aligning their finances with their values. He began his career in 2005, working on endowment reviews, which sparked a deep commitment to client-focused advice.
With over 20 years in the profession, Antony held advisory and leadership roles in London-based IFA firms before launching Providus in 2015. He specialises in working with business owners and high-earning families, using lifetime cashflow modelling and behavioural coaching to help clients make confident, informed decisions.
At the Academy, Antony helps deliver our CFP® training courses, sharing his passion for Lifestyle Financial Planning and supporting planners on their journey to becoming fully qualified professionals.
Outside of work, Antony is a keen runner, cricketer, scuba diver, and dedicated family man.