“I’m not here to tell you what to do – I’m here to make your financial goals happen.”
There’s a moment I see regularly in first meetings when a client walks in guarded maybe carrying a bad experience with a previous adviser. By the time they leave, we’re shaking hands, laughing, and making plans. That shift matters to me. Finance can feel serious and clinical, but it doesn’t have to. A client who feels relaxed and genuinely heard makes better decisions. That’s always been my starting point.
I’ve spent the past five years building up to this role from the ground up – starting as a mortgage administrator, working closely with estate agents and solicitors, before moving into paraplanning where I developed the technical grounding that underpins everything I do today. That journey means I understand financial planning from every angle, not just the advice side. I qualified as a financial adviser in June 2024 and joined Mattioli Woods shortly after.
My background before financial services – including time in the army – gave me one skill above all others: the ability to walk into any room, with anyone, and find common ground. Whether I’m with a client in their 80s who’s never had to think about Inheritance Tax (IHT) before, or a 35-year-old who’s never opened a pension, I meet people where they are with no jargon and more importantly, no pressure.
Estate planning is where I come alive professionally. I love that moment when someone who thinks there’s no way out of a tax problem suddenly sees a clear path forward. One client came to me following a letter from HMRC letter they didn’t understand. They’d never discussed their full financial picture with anyone before – and it turned out they had a significant IHT liability they hadn’t known existed. Over several months, we restructured their assets and put Business Relief (BR) to work. A liability of around £150,000 will be completely halved within two years with more plans ahead. They ring me most months now. That’s the relationship I want with every client.
There’s a second type of moment I love just as much – the retirement one. A client who genuinely believed he couldn’t afford to stop working sat down with me and saw the numbers laid out clearly for the first time. He could retire tomorrow and live comfortably for the rest of his life. He’s chosen to work one more year because he can’t sit still – but the choice is now his. That’s what good planning actually does.
I’m 30, which means if you work with me, you’ve got a long time with me. Outside of work, I’m dad to two girls who keep me very busy with dress-up, dancing and general chaos – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Family days out, whether that’s a walk, a swim or catching up with friends, are what recharge me.
