Meet the team

Mark A. Truman

BSc (Hons)

Managing Director

Mark is the owner of Novitas and works closely with every client. He leads meetings, helps turn objectives into clear and practical plans and supports clients in making confident decisions about their finances.

Alongside this, he sets the direction of the business and works with the team to ensure the service is delivered with consistency, care and high standards. Mark established Novitas in 2014 and has been advising since 2009.

He has worked in financial services since graduating from the University of Leicester in 1997, where he studied Physics and Astrophysics. He began his career as a paraplanner before moving into pensions and investment consultancy roles with providers including Royal London and Aegon. This breadth of experience gives him a clear understanding of both the advice process and the work that sits behind it.

Mark holds advanced professional qualifications across pensions, investments, taxation and financial planning. He prefers to focus on the quality of thinking, the clarity of the plan and delivering advice that is straightforward, transparent and carefully considered.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys fishing, clay pigeon shooting and spending time with his partner, two children and two springer spaniels.

Tyler Kirkbride

Paraplanner

Tyler is a paraplanner at Novitas, working closely with Mark on new client cases and supporting the investment process behind the scenes.

He plays a key technical role within the team, researching planning scenarios, supporting cashflow modelling and helping to deliver more detailed and complex aspects of client work.

Tyler joined Novitas following a career change from accounting and brings a strong grounding in tax, which continues to support his development in financial planning. He holds a First-Class Honours degree in Mathematics, along with a postgraduate qualificationand has also qualified as a secondary school maths teacher.

Outside of work, Tyler enjoys playing chess competitively and has a keen interest in photography.

Michelle Cowlard

Client Liaison Manager

Michelle is our Client Liaison Manager and leads the client review process, helping ensure each review is delivered smoothly and to a high standard.

She works closely with the wider team to coordinate meetings throughout the year, making sure clients are seen at the right time and that everything runs as expected. For many clients, Michelle is a familiar and reassuring point of contact.

Michelle began her career in financial services in 1990 with the Royal Bank of Scotland, where she spent many years supporting customers through significant changes in the banking sector.

Outside of work, Michelle supports local schools as an exam invigilator and provides additional assistance to students who require a reader or scribe. She also enjoys travelling around the UK with her husband and daughter in search of new places to explore.

Elvira Ivanova

Operations & Case Management

Elvira plays a central role in the day-to-day running of Novitas, ensuring that every case is handled accurately and efficiently from start to finish.

She maintains detailed client records, keeps cases organised and ensures that documentation is complete and accessible at all times. Her work brings structure and consistency to the administrative side of financial planning.

Elvira combines this with a strong professional background, including an MBA in Financial Management, a degree in Commercial International Law and an advanced accounting qualification.

Before joining Novitas, she worked as a freelance legal translator and tutor, producing high-accuracy translations and supporting complex legal documentation. This experience is reflected in her attention to detail and clear, careful approach.

Outside of work, Elvira enjoys spending time with her family and travelling.

Sebastian Briggs

Review Support

Sebastian joined Novitas through the Adviser Academy and is currently part of the client review team, while developing his knowledge of financial planning and the wider industry.

He supports the delivery of ongoing service and is working towards becoming a fully qualified adviser in the future.

Before joining Novitas, Sebastian completed A-levels in Law and Business, providing a solid foundation for his continued development.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and keeping active at the gym.

Tracy Rothwell

Client Engagement Lead (duty of care / additional support)

Tracy leads the Client Engagement Team at Novitas, helping ensure clients feel supported, understood and appropriately cared for.

She plays an important role in identifying when additional support may be needed and works with the wider team to adapt the service accordingly.

With over 20 years’ experience working with children and young people in educational and counselling settings, Tracy brings calm judgement and a thoughtful, people-focused approach. She also has experience supporting adults through voluntary work during more challenging periods in their lives.

Outside of work, Tracy enjoys spending time with animals and creative activities such as sewing and jigsaw puzzles.

Sprig & Wilson

Resident Spaniels (morale, meet-and-greet, general supervision)

Sprig and Wilson are the Novitas office dogs and a familiar part of the day-to-day environment.

Both are working springer spaniels who enjoy being in the office and part of the routine. Sprig is the older of the two and tends to take the lead, while Wilson brings equal enthusiasm in his own way.