“I work to travel – and I help clients build the freedom to do the same.”
At 16, I walked out of school with no plan to go to university – and into the Royal Bank of Scotland with a friend’s tip about a salary of £4,485 a year. Within a few years, I’d become the youngest female bank manager at the Royal Bank, managing commercial relationships at a time when the advice floors were almost entirely male. It felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there but I was, and I thrived.
Today, I work to travel. It’s one of my biggest passions and a fair chunk of my annual budget. I take around five holidays a year, some relaxed, some adventurous, and I’ve made sure my children grow up with the same love of the world. Travel is my why and it’s shaped how I think about financial planning: your money should fund the life you actually want to live.
I joined Cullen Wealth in 2012 (now part of Mattioli Woods) and brought with me over two decades of banking and independent financial advice experience. I’m working towards Fellowship level and cover the full picture – pensions, investments, Inheritance Tax planning, life cover, and tax-efficient solutions. What I noticed early on was that too many clients thought we only did pensions. My approach has always been to look at the whole landscape, not just one corner of it.
I ask a lot of questions – about your children, your grandchildren, what keeps you up at night, and what you’re really building towards. The financial questions matter, but so do the emotional ones. When I understand what truly motivates you, I can give advice that actually fits your life. Clients tend to stay with me for a long time, refer their families, and trust me with things they haven’t told anyone else. I think that comes down to one thing: I genuinely care. If I wouldn’t recommend it to my own parents, I won’t recommend it to you.
I work three days a week – officially, anyway. In reality, if a client needs me on a Sunday evening, I’ll pick up. I’m also passionate about encouraging more women into financial planning, a profession that’s still far too male-dominated, and I hope to play a greater role in supporting the next generation of advisers through the Financial Adviser Academy.
Outside of work, my world revolves around my two children, a good circle of friends, a small dog, and planning the next trip. I’ve spent my career building a life with financial purpose at its centre – and helping clients do the same is what gets me out of bed every morning.
