Catherine Bell

Catherine has strategic, operational, people and business development responsibility as well as overall responsibility for the company performance of Mearns & Company.

Catherine is consistently working to promote good people practices, well‑communicated values and a strong positive organisational culture.

In addition to holding the CII Certificate in Financial Planning, Catherine is a Chartered Member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development).

Catherine's journey to Mearns & Company (in her own words):

“I joined Mearns & Company in 2000 to support a family business for what I intended to be only a few months. Instead, I found myself energised by the opportunity to learn, contribute, and help shape a growing company with values that resonated deeply with me. What began as a short-term commitment quickly turned into a career I’ve loved building.

In my early years I completed a range of financial planning qualifications, including mortgage advice, and spent a short period advising clients before realising that my passion lay in the operational side of the business. I moved into supporting, and eventually leading, the management of our core business functions.

As the business expanded, it became clear to me that we needed dedicated in‑house HR expertise. This led me to undertake the CIPD Certificate in HR Practice, followed quickly after by the CIPD Advanced Diploma in HR Management. With this foundation, I set out to build the people strategy, policies and frameworks the company needed to evolve professionally and sustainably.

Over the years I’ve grown with Mearns & Company in ways I could never have anticipated when I first joined. I am hugely grateful for the opportunities the business has given me to develop my own skills and leadership experience, culminating in becoming Managing Director in 2018.

My background in both financial planning and people leadership allows me to blend two things I care deeply about: doing what’s right for clients, and building a positive, values‑led environment where people can thrive.”

What drives Catherine:

• Creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported and able to do their best work
• Ensuring the firm stays true to its principles: fairness, excellence, and making a difference
• Championing good governance and high professional standards
• Continuous learning — staying curious, improving systems, and investing in leadership capability
• Blending creativity with strategic thinking - shaping ideas and solving complex challenges

Specialist areas:

• Leadership, organisational culture and people strategy.
• Governance and regulatory alignment in financial services.
• Strategic planning and business growth.
• HR management and organisational development
• Service excellence and operational effectiveness.

Professional qualifications and external appointments:

• Chartered Member CIPD
• Practitioner Panel member of the Consumer Duty Alliance
• Member of the Investors in People Scotland Advisory Board, representing the SME sector, contributing to national strategy and best practice
• Professional Adviser 360 Conference Content Steering Group member

Career highlights (in her own words):

Helping to shape our long‑term strategy over many years and leading our leadership team management buy‑out in 2023 have been the stand out highlights of my career.

Outside of work:

Catherine lives in Edinburgh with her family and loves nothing more than time spent together - whether at home, out exploring, or enjoying good food. Creative pursuits are a big part of her downtime: painting in her studio, experimenting in the kitchen, and finding ways to bring a little beauty into everyday life. Pets, music, and discovering new places all play a part in keeping her life colourful.