James Carter

Principal

James has over 25 years of experience working in independent financial services, always specialising in Mortgages and Protection, and he is a member of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries.  

James set up Independent James in January 2007 and has developed the company to be much respected within the industry.  James is on several workgroups, and ij maintains key account status with all major lenders.  

He’s a coffee lover and always at hand for a chat and a pour-over; he’s an armchair football expert, Middlesbrough mad and a MAMIL; though this has been punctuated with a new arrival in late 2022.  

“I’ve been reading a lot more at present – Malcolm Gladwell, Murakami and Alan Bennett, alongside motivational autobiographies and business books”.  

“To me family and friends are everything. My wife and I visit our family and friends in Leicester and North Yorkshire as much as possible, though the latter is still quite a drive from the North London burbs!”.  

Fun fact: James’s entrepreneurial journey started at university when he organised nationwide nightclub coach trips. 

Oliver Marley

Mortgage and Protection Adviser

Oliver has been working in financial services for 15 years and has been with Independent James for the last 10 years. The team all celebrated with a trip to Brighton for the weekend.

He’s a fully qualified mortgage adviser, having gained distinctions in his mortgage examinations and recently extended his knowledge by completing the CeMap Diploma.  

Oliver is determined to travel the world and is passionate about cars and boats as well as property (obviously). Most recently visiting Milan and spending some time on the canal boats! Italy is a regular visit as the food is unbeatable. He has some Buy-to-Let properties and is keen on keeping his tenants happy - conscious of new licencing requirements in different districts.

Oliver is a key member of the team and is always ready to chat over lunch. You’ll often find him logged on after hours - able to take calls and accommodate meetings a little later in the evening if the need arises. Happy to work around your work schedule.

Fun fact: Oliver has just refurbished a small 2-bedroom house ready for renting. It's easy to empathise with anyone else with work going on at the moment or anyone thinking about improving.

Thomas Costelloe

Mortgage and Protection Adviser

Having graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Finance and Investment, Tom decided to take the jump into the world of mortgages, joining Independent James in 2015. 

He quickly completed his CeMAP qualification and more recently his CeMAP Diploma to become one of our senior mortgage and protection advisers. He now has over 6 years experience advising clients and helping guide them towards the most appropriate and competitive mortgage deals. 

Known for his responsiveness and approachability, Tom is always available to his clients, providing a helping hand throughout the whole process and relieving as much pressure as possible at what can be a stressful time. 

Tom recently welcomed his first child into the family and with time flying by he is looking forward to soon sharing his passion for football and golf with his new son. He is also a keen traveller and will always have a holiday or two booked in, albeit now needing more space for the family, the travelling may take a backseat for a while as he looks to move up the property ladder himself. 

Fun fact: During his school years, Tom was on the books at Chelsea FC where he was on the path to becoming a Premier League footballer. Although that didn't quite work out, it's not all bad, he now gets to work at Independent James!

Shangs Vytheeswaran

Mortgage Adviser

Shangs has been with Independent James since 2018. He started his journey at ij as a mortgage administrator and has now worked his way up to be a fully qualified advisor. 

Before joining ij, he worked at a local mortgage firm while completing his bachelor's degree in financial mathematics at the University of Kent. This is where he discovered his passion for mortgages and helping people achieve one of their biggest milestones.

"Life is short so always look to appreciate and enjoy life where you can, with the people that are always there for you"

A big football fan (Chelsea - boo!) and a purveyor of great food, so you can always find him in the kitchen cooking up different cuisines (for his wife) and honing his cooking skills.  

Fun Fact: Shangs was born and raised in Germany. 

Charles Edwards

Compliance Consultant

Charlie has been working in the financial services industry since 1985, starting his career with Albany Life, which was later merged with Canada Life. He worked in a variety of roles, including sales and technical training, before moving into compliance.  

He has extensive compliance and regulatory experience, having worked for national compliance support companies including The Tenet Group, and over ten years with Bankhall PMS Ltd, finally setting up his own successful Compliance Consultancy company. He has been supporting ij since 2015.  

Outside of work, Charles’ passion is travel, having been to all six continents, but there are still so many places yet to see. 

Fun Fact: Charlie once appeared on Supermarket Sweep with Dale Winton (RIP)…and came last!!

Daniel Lamb

Mortgage Paraplanner 

Dan is an aspiring adviser who is passionate about helping people achieve their dream of homeownership. Dan has been working in the mortgage industry for over six years, completing his CeMAP qualifications in 2022. 

He is currently training to further his knowledge and skills to become a fully qualified adviser. Dan loves connecting with clients and ensuring they have a smooth and stress-free experience throughout the homebuying journey. 

He has a wide knowledge of all things mortgages and is always ready to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.

A West Ham season ticket holder, Dan enjoys attending home games as well as watching boxing and cricket. He has recently taken up golf as a hobby and tries to spend his weekends on the course. Dan is also a keen traveller and is planning to combine his holidays with his golfing hobby, much to the delight of his girlfriend...

Fun Fact: Dan was an accomplished bass player in a breakthrough band and hung out at many well-known spots in the city.

Raul Rahman

Mortgage Paraplanner

Raul joined us in February 2021 with six years of administrative experience in the mortgage industry. Working closely with us, he has gained an in-depth knowledge of the market and developed an unwavering tenacity to help our clients achieve their goals. 

He has acquired his CF1 and CF6 qualifications and was recently promoted to a Mortgage Paraplanner with the view to becoming an advisor himself.

A fitness enthusiast who likes to keep active by weightlifting, Raul has recently been practising jiu-jitsu at his local fight gym.  Moreover, he is the self-proclaimed king of wings in the office and regularly attends the WingsFest held in London. He enjoys concocting new and spicy wing recipes in his kitchen.

Fun fact: Raul has raced a Lamborghini on one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues, Brands Hatch!

Lorna Stevens

Insurance Specialist

Lorna joined ij in June 2021. Her professional background is a combination of finance and Insurance, totalling over 13 years and enabling her to assist clients throughout their protection journey.

She thoroughly enjoys the world of Specialist home insurance, allowing her to tailor make a policy to suit your needs, be it anything quirky or unusual, from Subsidence or flooding to grade listed or non-standard construction properties. 

Lorna also has a huge passion for travelling and will be off on a plane to a new destination whenever the opportunity arises. She has travelled a lot of the world on her own, but in her words' there are always more places to explore, especially whilst there are more pages to fill in my passport '!  

Fun Fact: Lorna was a champion synchronised swimmer and completed her Olympic trials, as well as being a former freestyle swimmer for Kent, not to mention that she's a fully qualified swimmer instructor!