Skip to main content

Who’s who at The Route

Our team looks after each Member’s financial arrangements in a proactive, personalised and ongoing way. Put a face to a name and and see how we work to help you.

The Board

Richard Admiraal

Director and Business Owner

Richard Admiraal

Director and Business Owner

Richard is a founding partner and director at The Route, starting it in 2000, after holding senior management positions in several retail financial services companies. He is responsible for formulating and delivering the overall business plan. He provides input and guidance into the ongoing evolvement of the Member Proposition and the club concept, to ensure that The Route puts client satisfaction at the forefront of its operational decision making.

Prior to establishing The Route, Richard was an equity partner at a Private wealth Management company, responsible for both client relations and the management of advisors. He started work in the City after completing a degree in Business Studies at the University of Bath.

Lisa McLeod

Head of Operations

Lisa McLeod

Head of Operations

Lisa oversees all operations at The Route. In partnership with the executive management team, she assists in creating effective working practices to support The Route’s mission and goals. She has oversight responsibility for operational efficiency and applies an ongoing review process to ensure a ‘Best in practice’ approach.

Prior to The Route, Lisa worked in banking, accountancy and financial services, gaining a wealth of experience in operational support, administration and management.

Alan Gunner

Company Secretary

Alan Gunner

Company Secretary

Alan has been company secretary for The Route since its inception. He has been qualified as a Chartered Accountant for over forty years. Following his time in the profession, Alan held financial positions in a variety of industries including retailing, clothing importing and financial services.

He has previously been a Finance Director in a publicly quoted company and, in 2002, formed his own consultancy practice to provide accountancy services.

Richard Admiraal

Director and Business Owner

Bio

Richard is a founding partner and director at The Route, starting it in 2000, after holding senior management positions in several retail financial services companies. He is responsible for formulating and delivering the overall business plan. He provides input and guidance into the ongoing evolvement of the Member Proposition and the club concept, to ensure that The Route puts client satisfaction at the forefront of its operational decision making.

Prior to establishing The Route, Richard was an equity partner at a Private wealth Management company, responsible for both client relations and the management of advisors. He started work in the City after completing a degree in Business Studies at the University of Bath.

Lisa McLeod

Head of Operations

Bio

Lisa oversees all operations at The Route. In partnership with the executive management team, she assists in creating effective working practices to support The Route’s mission and goals. She has oversight responsibility for operational efficiency and applies an ongoing review process to ensure a ‘Best in practice’ approach.

Prior to The Route, Lisa worked in banking, accountancy and financial services, gaining a wealth of experience in operational support, administration and management.

Alan Gunner

Company Secretary

Bio

Alan has been company secretary for The Route since its inception. He has been qualified as a Chartered Accountant for over forty years. Following his time in the profession, Alan held financial positions in a variety of industries including retailing, clothing importing and financial services.

He has previously been a Finance Director in a publicly quoted company and, in 2002, formed his own consultancy practice to provide accountancy services.

The Team

Will Carpmael

Relationship Manager
The Route – Property

Will Carpmael

Relationship Manager
The Route – Property

Will works as a Relationship Manager in The Route – Property. He is responsible for the delivery of the Buy-To-Let Service to The Route’s Members who are interested in equity property investment. He assists each Member in negotiating the marketplace, liaising with service providers and for further developing the Member offering.

Will has over 20 years’ financial services experience, having traded equities for investment banks and hedge funds. He read mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge and enjoys cricket, tennis and country life.

Henry Hair

Head of Business
The Route – Membership

Henry Hair

Head of Business
The Route – Membership

Henry is Head of The Route – Membership and has overall responsibility for the delivery of its business plan.

His role involves introducing new Members to The Route, servicing the relationship between existing Members and its business lines, and evolving the Proposition.

Kyleigh Lynch

Private Debt Platform Manager
The Route – Finance

Kyleigh Lynch

Private Debt Platform Manager
The Route – Finance

Kyleigh works for The Route – Finance managing the Private Debt Platform’s portfolio of tasks enabling Member participation in Secured Loan raises. This involves ensuring that the raise processes are efficient and effective in bringing the projects to The Route’s Members, and completings each loan raise. Kyleigh has worked in financial services since 2005 .

Ella Mcleod

Administrator
The Route – Future

Ella Mcleod

Administrator
The Route – Future

Ella works within The Route – Future team to provide administration support for the delivery of its regulated services to Members.

Before joining The Route, Ella worked within the corporate and private event sectors, having studied Arts and Events Management at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Simon Pimblett

Head of Research & Monitoring

Simon Pimblett

Head of Research & Monitoring

Simon is Head of Research and Monitoring at The Route. This involves internal product development and due diligence, as well as managing The Route – Finance’s Secured Loans projects to conclusion. He is also responsible for producing much of the internal & external comment on financial matters, including newsletters and reports. Simon attended the University of Manchester, where he studied Management Science. He joined the financial services industry in 1987 and specialises in technical aspects.

Simon joined The Route in 2003 as a specialist technical adviser.

Katanya West

Business Manager
The Route – Finance

Katanya West

Business Manager
The Route – Finance

Katanya works in The Route – Finance, managing the Private Debt Platform’s portfolio of tasks for Secured Loan raises for The Route’s Members. This involves ensuring that it follows an efficient and effective process to bring projects to Members and completing each loan raise.

Katanya joined the financial services industry in 1989, working in customer services at various banks, and mortgage administration for a brokerage. She joined The Route in 2002.

Richard Wilkinson

Consultant

Richard Wilkinson

Consultant

Richard has acted as a consultant to both The Route’s Board & Senior Management Team since 2014. His expertise has assisted in better delivering the overall business plan and developing The Route’s corporate culture.

Richard is a graduate of Oxford University and the Cass Business School (CBS). His career has spanned positions globally in both finance and industry. Richard has been a mentor and guest lecturer in Structured Finance for the MBA programme at CBS.

He has a senior practitioner level Post Graduate certificate in coaching board level executives and entrepreneurs. In 2015, he completed an Executive Masters in the Neuroscience of Leadership, and has been a Non-Executive Director on the boards of public and private companies based in the UK and overseas.

George Poole

Private Debt Platform Analyst
The Route – Finance

George Poole

Private Debt Platform Analyst
The Route – Finance

George is responsible for the origination of Secured Loan projects for The Private Debt Platform.

His role involves working with brokers and intermediaries to source new opportunities for the Platform and provide underwriting support to assess each project’s suitability for lending purposes.

After completing a work placement at The Route in 2017, as part of his four year course in Business Administration at the University of Bath, George joined the team full time in 2020.

Gareth Pulman

Head of Business
The Route – Future

Gareth Pulman

Head of Business
The Route – Future

Gareth is Head of The Route – Future and responsible for delivering regulated financial advice and planning solutions to Members. In conjunction with The Route – Membership, he works with new and existing Members during the Member Integration and Annual Service Plan.

Having worked in financial services for 25 years and as a Financial Advisor for the last 15, Gareth has a wealth of experience advising High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices both on and off-shore.

Will Carpmael

Relationship Manager
The Route – Property

Bio

Will works as a Relationship Manager in The Route – Property. He is responsible for the delivery of the Buy-To-Let Service to The Route’s Members who are interested in equity property investment. He assists each Member in negotiating the marketplace, liaising with service providers and for further developing the Member offering.

Will has over 20 years’ financial services experience, having traded equities for investment banks and hedge funds. He read mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge and enjoys cricket, tennis and country life.

Henry Hair

Head of Business
The Route – Membership

Bio

Henry is Head of The Route – Membership and has overall responsibility for the delivery of its business plan.

His role involves introducing new Members to The Route, servicing the relationship between existing Members and its business lines, and evolving the Proposition.

Kyleigh Lynch

Private Debt Platform Manager
The Route – Finance

Bio

Kyleigh works for The Route – Finance managing the Private Debt Platform’s portfolio of tasks enabling Member participation in Secured Loan raises. This involves ensuring that the raise processes are efficient and effective in bringing the projects to The Route’s Members, and completings each loan raise. Kyleigh has worked in financial services since 2005 .

Ella Mcleod

Administrator
The Route – Future

Bio

Ella works within The Route – Future team to provide administration support for the delivery of its regulated services to Members.

Before joining The Route, Ella worked within the corporate and private event sectors, having studied Arts and Events Management at De Montfort University, Leicester.

Simon Pimblett

Head of Research & Monitoring

Bio

Simon is Head of Research and Monitoring at The Route. This involves internal product development and due diligence, as well as managing The Route – Finance’s Secured Loans projects to conclusion. He is also responsible for producing much of the internal & external comment on financial matters, including newsletters and reports. Simon attended the University of Manchester, where he studied Management Science. He joined the financial services industry in 1987 and specialises in technical aspects.

Simon joined The Route in 2003 as a specialist technical adviser.

Katanya West

Business Manager
The Route – Finance

Bio

Katanya works in The Route – Finance, managing the Private Debt Platform’s portfolio of tasks for Secured Loan raises for The Route’s Members. This involves ensuring that it follows an efficient and effective process to bring projects to Members and completing each loan raise.

Katanya joined the financial services industry in 1989, working in customer services at various banks, and mortgage administration for a brokerage. She joined The Route in 2002.

Richard Wilkinson

Consultant

Bio

Richard has acted as a consultant to both The Route’s Board & Senior Management Team since 2014. His expertise has assisted in better delivering the overall business plan and developing The Route’s corporate culture.

Richard is a graduate of Oxford University and the Cass Business School (CBS). His career has spanned positions globally in both finance and industry. Richard has been a mentor and guest lecturer in Structured Finance for the MBA programme at CBS.

He has a senior practitioner level Post Graduate certificate in coaching board level executives and entrepreneurs. In 2015, he completed an Executive Masters in the Neuroscience of Leadership, and has been a Non-Executive Director on the boards of public and private companies based in the UK and overseas.

George Poole

Private Debt Platform Analyst
The Route – Finance

Bio

George is responsible for the origination of Secured Loan projects for The Private Debt Platform.

His role involves working with brokers and intermediaries to source new opportunities for the Platform and provide underwriting support to assess each project’s suitability for lending purposes.

After completing a work placement at The Route in 2017, as part of his four year course in Business Administration at the University of Bath, George joined the team full time in 2020.

Gareth Pulman

Head of Business
The Route – Future

Bio

Gareth is Head of The Route – Future and responsible for delivering regulated financial advice and planning solutions to Members. In conjunction with The Route – Membership, he works with new and existing Members during the Member Integration and Annual Service Plan.

Having worked in financial services for 25 years and as a Financial Advisor for the last 15, Gareth has a wealth of experience advising High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices both on and off-shore.