“From a council estate to your corner– I know what financial pressure feels like.”
Growing up in Leicester, money was tight. My dad suffered an injury that left him unable to work, and we moved from rental to rental. Those years didn’t leave me bitter – they left me with something more useful: a genuine, first-hand understanding of what financial uncertainty feels like from the inside.
That understanding shapes every conversation I have with a client.
I spent 17 years in banking, working across sales, risk, anti-money laundering, and client onboarding for relationship-managed customers. I learned the industry inside out – but more importantly, I learned that people remembered how you made them feel, not what you knew. Clients often left great feedback about me with my manager, even after a difficult experience. Turning things around for people has always been my thing.
When my time in banking naturally came to an end, I didn’t sit still. I became an Uber driver and one evening a passenger asked what I was training to do. He handed me his card – he was an accountant. The next fare was a solicitor who did the same. Two strangers, two cards, one message: I can build a genuine connection with anyone, because I give every person the same respect and honest attention. That’s not a skill I’ve developed – it comes from growing up around people who were dismissed and undervalued, and deciding early on that I would never be that person.
I joined Mattioli Woods through its Financial Adviser Academy, and I’ve committed to it fully. During my training, I shadowed advisers working with clients managing estates worth tens of millions. I watched how the best advisers adapt in real time – knowing when to go deep technically, when to simplify, and when to simply listen. The lesson I’ve carried from every one of those meetings is this: clients don’t want to be impressed. They want to feel understood.
My banking background means I understand financial structures, risk, and the mechanics of money. But what I bring beyond that is lived experience – of hardship, of starting over, and of building something from nothing. I also hold an Advanced Diploma in Personal Training which speaks to the same philosophy I bring to financial planning: real, lasting progress requires honesty, a realistic plan, and the commitment to see it through – however long that takes.
I work with clients on wealth management, pensions, investments, and Inheritance Tax planning. Whether you’re getting your finances organised or managing significant assets, you’ll receive honest, tailored advice – built around your life, not a template.
If you’re looking for an adviser who takes the time to understand where you’ve come from – not just where you want to go – I’d love to have that conversation.
