About us
SparksWealth was set up in 2019 by Will Sparks.
While working for large financial institutions, Will noticed that everything was in their terms; “pick this fund” or “buy this product”. There was no one standing with the client deciding what is best for them.
At SparksWealth we stand beside the client and put everything in their terms. We specialise in educating our clients and helping them understand their finances.
Our cutting edge 3Castles2Knights framework and analysis secures our clients’ futures.
Our focus is first on preserving and protecting your wealth.
Will Sparks
Managing Director
Will has been in the investment industry for 15 years and manages wealth on behalf of executives, directors, company owners, retirees and charities. Before establishing SparksWealth in 2019, Will was an Associate Director with Quilter Cheviot (Formerly Morgan Stanley Quilter) and previously a Senior Stockbroker with Cantor Fitzgerald. Will started his career at Davy.
Will finished first in his year in University College Dublin Economics, completing a Masters in Economics on scholarship at Trinity College Dublin and a scholarship to complete a Masters in Finance at Cambridge University. Will is a Qualified Financial Adviser and has a certificate in Aviation Leasing from the Law Society of Ireland. Will also contributes regularly to the Sunday Independent and has presented at the ValueX conference in Davos, Switzerland.
Will is currently manager of the Leinster ‘A’ rugby team and has a keen interest in the sport. Will was President of the Gonzaga College Past Pupils Union and Chairman of the Dublin Insurance Athletic Association.
Paul Neary
Partner & Financial Planner
Paul worked in bespoke portfolio management in Manchester and Dublin for 14 years as an Investment Director before partnering with SparksWealth in 2021. Paul started his career working in the pension fund industry in Australia in 2005 and his experience of working in financial services in different countries has helped him identify best practice to achieve great client outcomes. Paul is passionate about providing excellent financial planning advice to clients and developing long term cooperative working relationships.
Paul is a Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) and a holder of the Certificate in Retirement Planning Advice (RPA). Whilst working in the UK he completed the CISI Masters in Wealth Management and the Investment Management Certificate (IMC). Paul also holds a Bachelor of Business from IT Sligo.
Outside of work Paul enjoys spending time with his young family and has a keen interest in cycling and golf.
Hubi Kos
Partner & Financial Planner
Hubi has worked in the investment industry for over twenty-five years’. In that time he has gained experience in Investment Banking, Wealth Management, Fund Management and Stockbroking. He has maintained long term relationships with clients by getting to know and understanding their core needs and requirements.
Hubi is a Qualified Financial Adviser and has a Professional Certificate in DC Pension Scheme Trusteeship. He holds a Diploma in Business Studies from The Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and an honours degree in Economics and Computers from University College Cork.
He now prefers to watch rugby rather than playing and enjoys walking around golf courses.
Lizanne Lillis
Senior Financial Planner
Lizanne has over 18 years’ experience having owned and run her own fast-paced independent brokerage, she is bringing with her vast experience and professional knowledge. She started her career as an office manager in the family firm, working her way up to executive level within brokerage where she gained invaluable insights into the internal workings of all aspects of financial planning. Lizanne enjoys working with clients to enable them to understand their financial plan and obtain their desired objectives.
Lizanne is dedicated in providing an outstanding service to her clients and building a good working relationship with all. She leverages her skills and knowledge while adopting an approach of ‘what can I do to add value and make a difference’ to deliver an outstanding service. With an open and honest communication, anything is possible. Attitude is everything. Passionate about the business, she likes to celebrate the successes as well as working through any challenges that occur.
Lizanne lives in Galway with her son Mark (6), outside of work it is family and friends on the priority list. Lizanne is happiest adventuring and orienteering in the wilds of Connemara with Mark.
Specialties: Financial Advice in Retirement Planning Individual and Executive, Advice in Retirement, Life Protection – Personal and Business Protection Strategies, Investment Portfolio Services, Succession Planning.
Aonghus Farrell
Head of Operations
Aonghus is a Qualified Financial Advisor. Aonghus graduated from GMIT with first class honours in Accounting and has recently completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning at UCD, also achieving first class honours.
Aonghus has experience working in accounting roles within a number of different industries.
Aonghus is passionate about helping people to take control of their personal finances and is dedicated to delivering a first class service to all SparksWealth clients.
Aonghus enjoys his time outside of work being with his wife and two young children and loves to go mountain biking.
Dee Tercias
Client Manager & Team Leader
Dee has been in the financial advice industry for over 6 years. Before joining SparksWealth she worked with Sun Life of Canada (Philippines). She was given a Gold Level for International Quality Awards by LIMRA in 2018.
Dee has a bachelor of science degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines with a major of Development Economics.
In her free time, Dee loves cooking for her son Zed. Dee and Zed particularly enjoy eating out and watching movies on weekends. Dee loves to make things beautiful which led her to study Interior Design in the Philippine School of Interior Design and is also a practicing licensed Interior Designer since 2007.
Ara Altar
Client Assistant
Ara is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in Communications Major in Marketing Management at Miriam College.
Thelma De Guia
Client Assistant
Thelma graduated from the College of the Holy Spirit, with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Thelma joined the accounting field as a Credit & Collection Associate, Compensation Benefits Supervisor, and Bookkeeper.
In 2017, Thelma took up the challenge of working as an Accountant and Administrative Manager at an international Japanese restaurant spending two years mastering the industry. Thelma is not new in the Financial Industry, before joining SparksWealth, she was with Sunlife of Canada for 5 years where she provided financial advice to clients.
She spends most of her weekends cooking, which she enjoys doing with her 3 years old granddaughter, Jayla Kassandra. Jayla ultimately loves it when Thelma bakes her favourite chocolate chip cookies!
Rae Pedroche
Client Assistant
Rae has spent most of her professional life in corporate communication and in financial services. She studied Journalism at the University of the Philippines and had stints as managing editor of lifestyle magazines before specialising in corporate publications.
Joining the SparksWealth team, Rae’s focus is on customer care. Then as now, her work values remain unchanged— clarity, simplicity, authenticity. Three tenets of good writing that she has found to work wonders everywhere else.
In recent years, Rae has taken an interest in qi gong, an ancient form of Chinese healing movements, and in self-mastery programs anchored on rewiring one’s brain to keep mentally agile at any age. She does Wordle daily and hopes to be as diligent in keeping her journal. She looks forward to rekindling pursuits that took a backseat in her younger years: reading the likes of Dickinson and Frost and learning to play a Beethoven piece other than Für Elise.
Brian McCarthy
Chairman of the Advisory Board
Brian McCarthy was the Director of Global Sales and Marketing at Alder Capital from June 2000 to February 2015 where he was responsible for raising over $1bn in assets from institutional investors such as pension schemes, life assurance companies, banks, hedge funds and asset managers. His other responsibilities included managing client relationships, identifying new business opportunities arising from changes in legislation, governing institutional investors and complying with anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing legislation.
Before Alder Capital, Brian was Head of Trade Execution and then a Client Relationship Manager with Gaiacorp Ireland Ltd. Brian has authored numerous articles on diversification of investor portfolios for Irish Broker magazine and other publications both in Ireland and abroad.
Brian graduated from UCD with a Masters in Economic Science. Brian enjoys golf and squash.
Book a Consultation
There is no cost for an initial consultation with one of our Financial Planners. Let's see if we can work together.
