About us

Chris Phillips

I joined Watson French as the firm’s first Graduate Trainee in 2012. Working firstly as Stephen’s assistant and then as his colleague I achieved Chartered Financial Planner status and became a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society in 2017. That same year I became a director of Watson French and was appointed Managing Director in 2020.

As a full member of STEP and a Trust and Estate Practitioner, I have specialist knowledge in the field of trusts, trustee investments, wealth structuring and estate planning.  I advise private individuals and businesses on all aspects of financial planning, including pensions and retirement planning, investments and protection.

My background was in agriculture, having been brought up on the family farm. I studied Agriculture at the University of Reading and graduated with a first-class honours degree in 2011. 

I was attracted to the finance industry as I saw it as rewarding, challenging and intellectually engaging; Watson French in particular because of Stephen’s long term plan for the company combined with his support for personal development and the company culture. My ambitions for the company and myself are entirely aligned. I would like to see our firm become a national Top 100 IFA while preserving our principles, building on our accomplishments and retaining our objective independence.

I would like to see our firm become a national Top 100 IFA while preserving our principles, building on our accomplishments and retaining our objective independence.

Chris Phillips