“I turned down university at 18 to start my career at Mattioli Woods. Six years on, I haven’t looked back.”
At 18, most people are packing for university. I handed back my offer and walked into Mattioli Woods as an apprentice instead, a decision that has shaped everything about how I work today.
I studied economics at A level, but I quickly found that too much of it lived in theory rather than real life. So rather than spending three years studying from a textbook, I chose to spend them living it.
Six and a half years later, I’ve worked across every part of the business, client relationship management, paraplanning, and now advising directly, having qualified through the Financial Adviser Academy. That breadth of experience means I’ve encountered virtually every planning scenario and been involved in some of the firm’s most complex cases. It gives me a depth of context that I draw from in every client relationship.
Part of what drives me is something quite personal. Growing up, I’d often talk money with my parents – pensions, investments, making the most of what they’d worked hard to build. They were successful in their careers, but like a lot of people, they simply didn’t have anyone in their corner helping them see the bigger financial picture. Those conversations stayed with me, and they’re a big part of why I do what I do.
I believe in providing individual advice based on my clients’ circumstances rather than ‘off the shelf’ solutions. Whether you’re planning for retirement, reviewing your investments or thinking about Inheritance Tax, I’ll take the time to understand what actually matters to you, and build a strategy around that. The best advice comes from knowing a client inside out over the long term, not from a one-off transaction.
Away from work, I’m a sports enthusiast who runs a Sunday league football club, loves travelling, and is gradually improving a golf game that has its own ideas. I’ve inter-railed across Europe and spent three months exploring Southeast Asia. Many of my clients are heading into later life with a wish list of places and experiences, and I get that, because I’m building mine too. Helping people spend their accumulated wealth as confidently as they built it matters to me just as much as the planning itself.
I came into this business before most of my peers had even started their degrees. That early start, grounded in real-world experience rather than theory, is what I bring to every client relationship.
