Kirby & Knott Financial Planning was founded by Alex Kirby and Richard Knott 

Thanks for visiting our website! 

"We have known each other for over 25 years, first meeting at secondary school in Gloucester before progressing on to further education and moving into the world of financial services. 
 
We are both fathers, business partners and firm friends, Kirby & Knott really is a family-run practice. We firmly believe that having a personalised financial plan tailored around what's important to you is absolutely vital. 
 
We understand that everyone is different and by taking the time to truly understand your aspirations, we will tailor a plan to help make this a reality. As your world evolves so should your financial plan, therefore we place great importance on developing and maintaining long term relationships with all our clients. This ensures that the solutions we offer are kept up-to-date with changes to your personal circumstances and the world around you." 
 
Richard & Alex 

Supporting our Local Community 

At Kirby & Knott Financial Planning, we believe that supporting the community around us is an vital part of our role as a local business. 

Meet the Team 

Alex Kirby 

Director and Chartered Financial Planner 

Richard Knott 

Director and Chartered Financial Planner 

Jess Blakeman 

Practice Manager 

Ashley Pooley 

Financial Planner 

Alex Lannon 

Client Services Co-ordinator 

Jordan Lovesey 

Trainee Paraplanner 

Catherine Knott 

Client Relationship Manager 

Debbie Kirby 

Client Services Co-ordinator 

Jackie Reynolds 

Client Services Co-ordinator 

Nikki Budding 

Marketing Manager 

Alex Kirby 

FPFS 
 
Alex began his career in 2005 and has worked across a wide range of roles for large corporate organisations, including Zurich and Santander. 
 
In 2018, along with Richard, he formed Kirby and Knott Financial Planning to provide personalised financial plans for individuals and business owners alike. 
 
Alex is passionate about delivering advice in a clear, simple and straightforward way. 
 
Alex is a Chartered Financial Planner, a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute and a member of the Personal Finance Society. 

Richard Knott 

BSc, Cert CII, FPFS 
 
Richard is a highly experienced Financial Adviser, helping both individuals and business owners work towards a wide range of financial planning goals. 
 
In 2018, along with Alex, he launched Kirby and Knott Financial Planning with the vision of building trusted relationships and delivering an exceptional level of service to all clients. 
 
Richard has achieved Chartered and Fellow status, which is widely regarded as the ‘gold standard’ and highest level of qualification within the profession. 
 
In his spare time, Richard enjoys spending time with his young family and helping to coach a local youth football team. 

Jess Blakeman 

Jess has worked in a wide variety of roles, from hospitality management to banking. Her experience in client facing roles gives her a fantastic ability to communicate at all levels. 
 
Jess looks after all of our back office functions, supporting the team to deliver excellent service to our clients. 
 
When she isn’t at work Jess is busy looking after her two girls and is an active member of her the PTA at their school..  
 
 

Ashley Pooley ASCI 

 
Ashley began his career in 2016 building his expertise across several areas at Coutts & Co before he joined Kirby & Knott in August 2024. 
 
Ashley is passionate about delivering bespoke plans to clients and providing that peace of mind to all clients so that they can enjoy the life they have worked so hard for. 
 
In his spare time, Ashley enjoys spending time with his family, watching his favourite sports team and reading his history. 
 

Alex Lannon 

Alex joined Kirby & Knott Financial Planning in January 2023. 
 
After finishing his A Levels at Balcarras School, Cheltenham, in 2022, Alex spent the summer inter-railing across Europe, where he loved understanding various different cultures and lifestyles. 
 
He has already began studying for his professional exams in Financial Planning and plays a key role in our Client Services team, predominately looking after Alex's clients. 
 
Alex is a keen golfer and member at Lilleybrook Golf Club and follows Manchester United. 

Jordan Lovesey 

Jordan is a Trainee Paraplanner here at Kirby & Knott Financial Planning. 
 
For a long time he has had a real passion for investing and financial advice. He hopes to develop his career into becoming a financial planner. 
 
He works alongside Alex and Richard researching financial products, analysing data and report writing whilst working towards his Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. 
 
Outside of his work life, Jordan is also a very keen footballer and plays locally and supports Arsenal. 

Catherine Knott 

 
Catherine has worked in customer service roles throughout her whole career. Ensuring that clients are provided with a friendly and professional service from start to finish is of the utmost importance to her and she fundamentally believes in putting clients at the heart of the business. 
 
Her role within Kirby & Knott Financial Planning is to look after our existing clients. Her time is spent booking client review meetings, preparing reports and ensuring our clients are well looked after. 
 

Debbie Kirby 

 
Debbie has worked in a wide variety of roles, both within Financial Services and outside.  
 
Her role is to support the team to help deliver an excellent service to our clients. This includes liasing with providers, St James's Place and clients. 
 

Jackie Reynolds 

 
Jackie joined Kirby & Knott Financial Planning in May 2024. 
 
Originally from Canada, Jackie has worked in a wide variety of roles both in and outside of Financial Services. Her experience in administration and her client focused approach makes a valuable addition to the team. 
 
Jackie’s role involves liaising with third party providers and clients to ensure that the advice process is swift and seamless. 
 
When she isn’t at work, Jackie loves attending a boot sale, has a keen interest in wine tasting and really enjoys people watching! 
 

Ashley Pooley ASCI 

 
Ashley began his career in 2016 building his expertise across several areas at Coutts & Co before he joined Kirby & Knott in August 2024. 
 
Ashley is passionate about delivering bespoke plans to clients and providing that peace of mind to all clients so that they can enjoy the life they have worked so hard for. 
 
In his spare time, Ashley enjoys spending time with his family, watching his favourite sports team and reading his history. 
 

Nikki Budding 

Nikki is very well known amoungst the business community in Gloucestershire as a result of her carefully nutured business relationshops. She has a wealth of experience in planning events and running social media. 
 
Nikki brings a huge amount of energy to the team and to our client relationships.  
 
In her spare time, Nikki loves following Gloucester and Hartpury Rugby and supporting local charities.