Launched in 2018, Estatesearch’s once humble team of three has grown now to include well over 50 members of staff. In the past 12 months, we’ve also grown our client base by 38% to over 2,400 firms operating across wills, probate, estate administration, and estate planning.
In 2025, our business success and expansion was recognised, and we won a Modern Law award for Business Growth and the growth Sussex Business Award.
We believe our successful expansion is evidence that we’ve listened to our clients, understood their challenges and delivered valuable services, backed by excellent customer service. It’s the people behind the brand, the team working with our clients every day that are responsible for the company that we are today and we also have a culture of staff development and create career pathways to support and retain our best people as they progress.
Let’s meet some of our valued and recently promoted team members.
Kelly Clayton, Head of Group Marketing, Estatesearch
Kelly joined Estatesearch in 2022 as Marketing Manager and has worked in the legal services industry for almost 20 years. Kelly was promoted to Head of Group marketing in December 2025. Skilled in negotiation, event planning, customer service, coaching, and strategic planning Kelly is a strong marketing professional with a BA (Hons) in Media Production from the University of Lincoln. Kelly oversees Estatesearch’s marketing, PR, company promotion and product launches in the UK, Canada and the rest of the world. Her team has recently grown by 100%.
Kelly says: “Estatesearch is like a big family. We really support our staff with development pathways and I’m proud to work at a company with such positive cultural values. Everyone is focused on putting our clients first. Every day is different and always super busy, but I honestly wouldn’t want it any other way. One of my favourite tasks is overseeing our annual customer satisfaction survey and reading all the comments from happy clients. It’s so rewarding to hear the feedback and seeing the positive impact that the work we do has on law firms and their clients.”
Kelly is a mum of one and lives in Leicestershire. She is a big horror fan and can often be found at a convention in her spare time.
Ollie Wright, Head of Financial Solutions Sector
Ollie joined Estatesearch in 2021 as Relationship Manager for the financial industry. He went on to head the financial institutions team and was promoted to Head of Financial Solutions Sector in December 2025.
Ollie’s experience in both financial services and relationship management spans almost two decades working in England, Scotland and Australia. Ollie is now responsible for our solutions for the financial industry. He heads the financial institutions team which includes the customer tracing side of the business and also our unclaimed asset register in addition to the financial system for FIs to support bereavement journeys.
Ollie says: “Bereavement journeys vary widely between financial firms and for the past ten years, I have been working towards creating a more compassionate, cohesive solution for financial institutions to influence customer experiences in a positive way. We are now entering an exciting new phase of development and growth, bringing together our financial services offerings and building on the strong relationships we have nurtured over the years to deliver better outcomes for end users. It is rewarding to be at the forefront of efforts to standardise and improve processes, particularly as interacting with financial institutions after the death of a loved one is something most people will face at some point in their lives. Having the opportunity to improve outcomes and make such a meaningful impact is incredibly satisfying.”
Ollie’s favourite pastime is reading books to his young son at bedtime.
Rachel Goode, Head of Product & Delivery
Rachel joined Estatesearch in 2023 and brought 25 years of experience in product and project management with a focus on human‑centred application development. Promoted to Head of Product & Delivery in December 2025, Rachel sets the roadmap for the main Estatesearch global customer portal bringing new products to market, enhancing the customer experience, and integrations with our partners. Her team also works across the Group to provide teams with bespoke tools and automations, including the Estatetrace data management app for tracing work, the Estatesure portal, which integrates with brokers for our insurance products.
Rachel’s team has doubled in size now to include six developers.
Rachel says: “It’s critical that we are responsive to our customers’ needs. We also work closely with Estatesearch’s team members and think of them as our customers too. Although we are a profitable, commercial organisation, Estatesearch’s group of companies are about far more than making money. Our projects deliver tangible value and improve outcomes. We make life better for our clients and this in turn makes their clients’ journeys better, which is particularly worthwhile.”
Away from work, Rachel enjoys classical music, dancing and spending time with her husband, daughter, and Cavapoo puppy.
Mandy Hawkins, Head of Group Operations
Mandy is an experienced operations manager of more than 20 years. Mandy joined Estatesearch in 2021 as Operations Manager, and was promoted to Head of Group Operations in December 2025. Mandy’s role is varied and includes overseeing talent acquisition and development in addition to looking after premises for Estatesearch’s group of companies. Mandy also works closely with the customer success team at Estatesearch.
Mandy says: “Every day is different. One day I might be recruiting for multiple roles across Estatesearch’s group of companies and the next, working with our customer success manager to support the launch of our new platform. “As a business, we are passionate about our culture of team development. Several people who joined the company with basic skills have advanced into other areas of the business, supported by our solid processes and policies for career progression and I’m proud of this. We scored 83% overall in our recent staff engagement survey and the team understand the direction and vision of the business. Staff said that they appreciate working in an organisation which helps people.
“I agree, and I love working with people who are all dedicated to delighting our clients efficiently, and those who are always happy to go the extra mile to find effective solutions to any situation. Eagerness to learn, develop and specialise, engaging with all areas of the business has created a successful team appreciated by the business and clients alike. Passion and enthusiasm for championing our products and supporting our clients has significantly contributed to our growth and success across the industry.”
Mandy enjoys travelling and living on the South Coast, walking by the sea and on the South Downs.