“Curious about your life, caring about your future – that’s how I work.”
Before I became a financial planner, I spent four years teaching business English in Japan – working with companies like Mitsubishi and Hitachi. I only planned to stay for six months. What kept me was the people. Teaching professionals who needed to communicate clearly, in a language that wasn’t their own, showed me that the ability to simplify complex ideas and bring people along with you is one of the most valuable skills there is. It’s a skill I use every single day with clients.
When I returned to the UK, I joined Nationwide Building Society – initially in a junior role, then qualifying as a financial adviser through their Financial Adviser Academy. The training was thorough and the support was second to none. It gave me the technical foundation I needed, but more importantly, it confirmed what I’d learned in Japan: that good financial planning is about listening first and educating with clarity.
I’ve been with what is now Mattioli Woods since 2008. Over nearly two decades, I’ve worked with clients at every stage of life – but the moments that stay with me are the ones where clarity changes everything. One couple, both stressed and tired in jobs they’d grown to dislike, came to me unsure whether they’d ever be able to retire. One of them was a financial director – a person you’d assume had it all mapped out. They didn’t. Policies were scattered across different providers, with no single picture of what they had. Using cash-flow modelling, I brought it all together and showed them not only that they could retire, but that they could do it now. Four or five years on, they’re travelling regularly, spending time with family, and gifting to their children in a way that also helps with Inheritance Tax planning. They handed in their P45s. That’s what this job is about.
I describe myself as curious and caring – curious about what really matters to each person in front of me, and caring enough to make sure I get it right. I adapt to every client individually, whether they want to dig into the detail or simply need reassurance that they’re on the right path. I hold a lot of trust, and I don’t take that lightly. We often know more about our clients than anyone else in their lives – their finances, their family, their plans and their fears.
Outside of work, family comes first. I have a young family that includes a child with a disability, which has given me a perspective on life that I carry into every client relationship – an understanding that circumstances can be complex, that flexibility matters, and that the people who support you through it make all the difference. I also love being active: cycling, running, walking in the hills, and generally not sitting still if I can help it. That energy comes from years of early morning swimming sessions as a competitive swimmer growing up.
From a Bolton savings book to Tokyo boardrooms to helping clients across the UK live the lives they want – the thread running through all of it is simple: understanding people, communicating clearly, and genuinely caring about the outcome. If you’d like to understand what your financial picture really looks like, I’d love to have that conversation.
