Meet the team

FundCalibre uses AlphaQuest, a proprietary quantitative screening tool, which analyses fund and market data. It then combines these results with Chelsea’s hands on, interview-led fund research, to award its Elite Rating.

FundCalibre is an authorised representative of Chelsea Financial Services and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Research team

Darius McDermott, Managing Director

Darius studied at the University of Birmingham, graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry. He has clocked up more than twenty years within the financial services industry, all of which have been spent with Chelsea Financial Services where he’s been managing director since February 2000. He became managing director of FundCalibre at its launch in 2013. Darius is regularly quoted in both national newspapers and more specialist financial publications and is the lead investment adviser to a range of multi-asset funds. Outside work (almost literally, as our office is a stone’s throw from the stadium) Darius is a dedicated Chelsea season ticket holder. When not at a match, Darius can be found entertaining his two children.

Juliet Schooling Latter, Research Director

Juliet has a degree in economics from University College London. Together with Darius, she came up with the concept of FundCalibre and was instrumental in its launch. She has worked at Chelsea Financial Services for around 20 years and has been head of research there since 2013. Juliet provides regular commentary to the trade and national press. She is also part of a four strong team of investment advisors to a range of multi-asset funds. Out of the office, Juliet can be found playing with her three daughters.

James Yardley, Senior Research Analyst

James has a BA in War Studies from King’s College London and is a CFA charterholder. He started his career conducting equity research for the institutional brokerage firm Redburn before joining Chelsea Financial Services. James has worked for FundCalibre since launch and won Investment Week’s ‘Trailblazer’ Award in 2019. James is an investment adviser to a range of multi-asset funds and is passionate about improving financial education and encouraging more people to save. At university he was a keen chess and poker player and now spends his free time with his three children.

Chris Salih, Senior Research Analyst & Investment Writer

Chris has a dual role: he is responsible for investment trust and multi-asset fund research and helps to write the investment content we share on the website. His career in financial services began as a journalist for Incisive Media, writing for its multi-manager publication between 2005 and 2007. He then joined Money Marketing and won ‘Headlinemoney Investment trade journalist of the year’ in 2008. More recently, Chris was senior research consultant at CoreData Research, managing a number of large projects for global asset managers. Chris is an avid football fan and can be found walking his dog in his free time.

Joss Murphy, Junior Research Analyst

Joss obtained a first-class MSc at Bayes Business School in 2021, having finished his bachelor studies at Bristol University the previous year. He has attained his IMC Level 1 and is working towards becoming fully certified. His role comprises of fund and investment trust research, producing daily valuations for a multi-asset fund range, and interviewing managers of investment funds amongst other responsibilities. Outside of work, he is an avid follower of sports. He particularly loves going to the races (both horses and F1), and watching his beloved Arsenal.

Tony Yousefian, Research Consultant

Tony began his career in financial services in 1982. He has been involved in discretionary investment management for both private client portfolios and funds, as an analyst and fund manager, since 1987. In 2003, as the CIO of OPM Fund Management Ltd, Tony founded and managed the OPM range of multi-manager, multi-asset funds, before the company was acquired in April 2013. Tony is a consultant at FundCalibre. He is also a portfolio manager at Suffolk-based Beckett Asset Management, helping to manage its discretionary fund management service.

Content team

Sam Slator, Communications Director

Sam graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a BA (Hons) in International Business with French & Italian. Her first job was with Threadneedle Investments (now Columbia Threadneedle), where she helped to set up their European client service centre in 1998, before joining their press office three years later. She spent seven years at Fidelity, latterly as co-head of media relations, and joined Chelsea Financial Services in January 2012. Sam has been involved in FundCalibre since its launch. She spends her free time volunteering as a school Chair of Governors, walking her dog and ferrying children between sports clubs and birthday parties.

Staci West, Digital Content Creator

Staci graduated with a MA (Hons) in International Security from the University of Westminster after completing a BA in Criminal Justice and Criminology, focusing on gender injustices. Before joining FundCalibre, Staci worked for three years as a business manager. She initially joined FundCalibre’s admin team, but is now responsible for creating and managing our video and podcast content as well as our branded social media which includes an Instagram account offering educational content. Staci won ‘Marketing Influencer of the Year – Highly Commended’ at the 2021 ‘Women in Investments Awards’. In her spare time Staci is an active advocate of dog rescues and regularly fosters dogs as well as owning two of her own.

Administration

Tina Kubu, Office Administrator

Tina graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA Hons in German Language & Literature. She started her career in finance with RostronParry, a PR agency specialising in hedge funds, derivatives and wealth management. 8 years later, Tina moved to HBS International as Account Director, specialising in European financial PR. Most recently, Tina has been teaching at a Montessori school in China. As Office Administrator, Tina is responsible for monitoring FundCalibre in the press and oversees all office and communication admin. When she’s not working, she’s mostly to be found haring about the UK, visiting family, watching wildlife or just watching the sea change colours in the Outer Hebrides.