Kelly Dinelli has had a front-row seat to the growth of Citrus Financial, and played a huge part in making it happen. When she joined in 2012, there were just five people in the business and David was its only financial adviser. Today, as Operations Manager and a key member of the leadership team, Kelly is involved in almost every aspect of how Citrus runs, from developing the team and improving processes to helping shape its future.
We sat down with Kelly to talk about her unexpected route into financial services, working alongside David for more than a decade, what makes her proudest about Citrus, and life outside the office with family, fitness and a husband who spends his spare time searching for buried history.
You’ve worked in banking and financial services since 1988. How did you first get into the profession?
I actually didn’t want to work in financial services at all. I always wanted to join the police force! Unfortunately, my local force was the Met and it became clear in my late teens that I simply wasn’t going to be tall enough.
My Dad encouraged me to think about banking instead and suggested training to become a bank manager. So that’s how it all started, even though it definitely wasn’t the career I’d originally imagined for myself.
Before Citrus, you spent many years with Barclays. What did you learn there that has stayed with you throughout your career?
I originally joined Ekins, managing a team of surveyors who worked with the Woolwich. I then moved into different roles within the Woolwich, which was eventually bought by Barclays.
At one point I found myself managing a team of around 90 people dealing with complaints and responding to shareholders. It was a very high-pressure environment. From there I went on to head the Incident Response team, so if something significant went wrong within the bank, my team would often be the first port of call.
Those roles taught me a lot about staying calm under pressure, being organised, managing people and dealing with problems properly rather than putting them off.
What first brought you to Citrus Financial in 2012?
I’d moved around quite a bit within Barclays, but by then I had a young family and the time felt right to find something more local.
I say local, I’d never actually heard of Hildenborough before I went for my interview!
I was looking for a role that offered some stability, but I also wanted the opportunity to influence things and help a business grow. In a large corporate organisation, it can sometimes be difficult to feel that you can genuinely make a difference. Citrus offered something very different.
You originally joined as Practice Manager and PA to David. What do you remember about Citrus in those early days?
It was completely different. When I joined, David was the only financial adviser. We also had an administrator, a paraplanner and a mortgage adviser, so there were only five of us in total.
The PA part of my role very quickly became more about being Practice Manager and running the office. It was a small company that was growing and, quite simply, it needed organising!
“One of the biggest differences compared with working in a large organisation was that David listened. He’s very good at giving people a voice and making you feel that your opinion is valued.”
You’ve worked very closely with David for more than a decade. What has that working relationship been like?
Looking back, I’ve really enjoyed having the opportunity to work so closely with him.
One of the biggest differences compared with working in a large organisation was that David listened. He’s very good at giving people a voice and making you feel that your opinion is valued.
David would have lots of ideas and a big part of my role was taking those ideas away, working through them and deciding which ones we could actually make happen. In many ways, it felt like a partnership. He had the ideas and I’d often be the person working out how we could put them into practice.
You’ve seen Citrus change enormously since you joined. What are the biggest differences between the business then and now?
The most obvious difference is simply the size of the business. We’re now more than three times bigger, with 17 members of staff, including six financial advisers and two mortgage advisers.
We have much bigger premises and I think the experience for clients coming into the office is completely different too.
But although the business is much bigger and we now have a leadership team, I still feel I can make a genuine difference to how Citrus is run. One thing that hasn’t changed at all is the focus on clients. Every decision we make still centres around them.
Is there anything about Citrus that you’re particularly proud to have helped build?
Definitely the team.
I’ve been involved in recruitment throughout my time at Citrus and I’m incredibly proud of the calibre of people we’ve been able to attract and, just as importantly, help to grow and develop.
We have a fantastic team and a really good atmosphere. Seeing people come into the business, develop their skills and progress is something I get a lot of satisfaction from.
“If you have a team full of people who genuinely want to get better at what they do, that’s a fantastic starting point.”
You’re now Operations Manager and a key part of the leadership team. What does your role involve today?
Anything and everything!
At any one time I could be making sure we have enough toilet roll, managing David’s diary, helping someone in my team with their personal development, working on a new process or discussing the long-term strategy for the business.
It genuinely covers everything, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoy it.
You’ve worked with a lot of people at Citrus over the years. What do you think makes a really strong Client Services team?
It comes down to the people, and particularly having people who want to grow and learn.
If you have a team full of people who genuinely want to get better at what they do, that’s a fantastic starting point.
I’m also proud of the way we’ve supported people when they’ve realised that financial services perhaps isn’t the right career for them. There doesn’t have to be any fault on either side. Sometimes someone simply realises they’d rather be doing something different. We’ve always tried to handle that in a flexible and supportive way and help them with their next step.
For me, looking after people matters whether they’re joining the team, developing within it or eventually deciding to move on.
You were highly commended for Woman of the Year at the Women in Financial Advice Awards in 2022. What did that recognition mean to you?
It meant an enormous amount.
I mentioned earlier that in a large organisation it can sometimes be difficult to feel heard or recognised. At Citrus I’ve always felt I’ve had a voice and the opportunity to make a difference, so to then be recognised by people within the profession was really special.
I was incredibly nervous on the night and felt a little like a fish out of water at first, but Sammy was there with me and I got to share the whole experience with him and the team. It turned into such a lovely evening and it’s a memory that has really stayed with me.
Looking back, it’s definitely one of my proudest moments from my time at Citrus.
“Every decision we make still centres around our clients.”
You’re known as someone who keeps a lot of plates spinning. Are you naturally very organised, or is it something you’ve had to learn?
Yes is probably the short answer!
I’ve always been organised, even when I was little, but becoming a working mum definitely took it to another level. When the girls were young I was working a full week, plus travelling, and Sammy’s job wasn’t particularly flexible either.
Getting everyone to school, getting myself to work and dealing with whatever cropped up meant I had to have routines and be very organised. Even now I don’t like being late. I like to give myself plenty of time, I like to plan and I like to know what I’m doing.
I think I’m just somebody who likes to be prepared.
You’re a mum of two. What does family life look like when you’re not at work?
It’s still about keeping everything organised!
Now that Ariana, my eldest, has moved out, I’m very conscious of making sure I spend time with everyone. I might spend a Saturday with Ariana and then Sunday with Maya and Sammy.
The girls are very different people and enjoy different things, so I try to balance my time between them. Family is incredibly important to me and I never want either of them to feel they don’t get my time and attention.
Your husband is a detectorist. Do you ever go along with him?
I’ve been once!
It was Boxing Day quite a few years ago and we went down onto the Thames foreshore. Sammy is also a mudlarker and there are lots of rules around what you can and can’t do, where you can search and what equipment you can use.
He absolutely loves it, but he’ll quite happily get up at five in the morning to go detecting. That perhaps explains why I haven’t rushed to join him again!
What’s the best thing he’s ever found?
A Celtic gold coin.
He’s found so many fascinating things over the years, hammered coins, old tokens, Roman items, clay pipes and even little Victorian toys, but the Celtic gold coin is probably the standout find.
What I love is how excited he gets about everything he discovers. He’ll ring me and say, “I’ve found a ring!” or “I’ve found a brooch!” and I’ll imagine something completely different. Then he gets home and I look at it and think, “Is that really a brooch?”
He has glass display cases full of his finds now. It’s like having our own little museum at home.
When you finally get some time to yourself, what do you like to do?
Over the last year, the gym has become my time.
I went for a trial on 28 December and decided I was going to give it a proper go. I wouldn’t say I love going every single time, sometimes I really have to psych myself up, but I set myself a target of three times a week and I stick to it.
That’s probably quite typical of me. If I set myself a goal, I’ll keep going.
More importantly, the gym has become one of the only places where I genuinely get some uninterrupted time to myself. If I’m on the treadmill, the phone can wait!
Quickfire Round
Tea or coffee?
Coffee
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird.
Beach holiday, countryside break or city escape?
Beach holiday
Favourite place for a family break?
Florence
Best way to spend a Sunday?
An antique fair looking for treasures or a lovely long walk with the family.
Favourite TV programme or film?
Elf at Christmas. We watched it together as a family for years, so it brings back lots of lovely memories.
Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My Dad always told me to save something from my salary every month. It doesn’t matter how much. just make sure it’s something. My daughter Maya has definitely inherited that from me. Ariana inherited my other ‘S’ – shopping! Fortunately, I like to think I can balance both. But yes, always save.
You can meet more members of the team here.
Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited. 25/09/2026
