Simon Abbas

Chief Executive

Originally from a financial background Simon has spent 25 years successfully building, developing, merging and selling a range of businesses across diverse sectors, including Recruitment, Healthcare, Hospitality, Management Consultancy & Financial Services.

His proven track record of optimising commercial opportunities, effective management & strong business background has been integral to the PIA evolution over the last three years.

His current primary role is Chief Executive of Price Information Advantage Limited (PIA), of which he is both Director and Shareholder.

Peter Shepherd

Managing Director

Peter is a Senior Executive with over 20 year’s international experience in finance and capital markets. With a classic marketing background, Peter has an extensive track record of launching new ventures and products in financial services. Roles have included Commercial Director at LIFFE and Managing Director at LCH.Clearnet, now focusing on investment management ventures.

His current primary role is Managing Director for PIA firstcapital, the PIA investment management division, and is both Director and Shareholder of PIA.

Darren Courtney-Cook

Head of Trading

Darren has over 20 years’ experience in the financial markets. In the early 1990’s Darren entered the Financial Futures world working as a pit trader on the LIFFE floor (London International Financial Futures & Options Exchange) trading STIR contracts for brokers REFCO and Dean Witter.

Darren was made general manager of a Proprietary Trading company in June 2001 and in June 2010 Darren joined PIA firstcapital to head up the trading team.

His current primary role is Head of Trading for PIA firstcapital, and a Director of PIA

Phil Culver-Evans

Chief Financial Officer

Phil has extensive senior management experience managing fast growing and changing businesses in both financial and operational roles. This includes international expansion, restructuring, fundraising, M&A and direct involvement in both regulated and unregulated businesses.

Phil is a qualified accountant and has been a main board director of various firms over the last 20 years, which include national and international businesses, private and PLC, encompassing recruitment, marketing services, and Financial and Corporate PR within the City.

In recent years Phil has taken the entrepreneurial route and put his accumulated knowledge to good use by investing in and running a portfolio of businesses including Financial PR, Care Homes, Hospitality, Management Consulting and Financial Services.

His current primary role is Chief Financial Officer for PIA, of which he is both Director and Shareholder.

Max Knudsen

Director

The fundamental concepts underlying PIA research were formed by the founders of PIA, of which Max is one. As the top interest rate options salesman at Swiss Bank Corp, Max‘s research on market sentiment provided the structure for his options trades which led to Max being offered a position in research as Head of Technical Strategy.

Similar appointments followed at UBS and Dresdner Kleinwort and in 2007 Max and colleagues left investment banking and took PIA to market as an independent service. Max is now one of the longest appearing guest analysts on CNBC, holding a bi-weekly interview since 2002.

Max is both a Director and Shareholder of PIA.

Steve Lucas

Director

Steve, a co-founder of PIA took up his first position within the financial markets as an Interest and Forward FX trader in a large international bank, which developed into an interbank price maker. Steve went from trading desk manager in London to Head of Trading in New York and then Head of Trading and Sales. Throughout this time Steve was also actively trading the bank’s proprietary book across all asset classes.

Steve is both a Director and Shareholder of PIA.

Alan Collins

Director

Alan has been involved in the financial markets since 1980, primarily with Foreign Exchange but also including experience of a number of roles. Alan has held a number of high profile jobs with large institutions including, Spot and Forward trader at Barclays, Head of Sales/Technical Analysis and Proprietary Trading at KOP/Merita/Nordea and Senior Technical Analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. Alan was a co-founder of PIA in 2007 as they made the decision to offer their high quality research as an independent service.

Alan is both a Director and Shareholder of PIA.