Steven McKay

“The best meetings aren’t about the benefits – they’re about the people.”

I didn’t set out to work in financial services. I graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a law degree and a Masters Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, with half an eye on joining the police. Life, as it turned out, had other plans for me – and looking back, the fit makes perfect sense. Law is about understanding complex rules and applying them to real people’s lives. Employee benefits is exactly the same.

I joined financial services in 2011 and have spent the last 14 years focused solely on employee benefits, joining Mattioli Woods in 2023. In that time, I’ve worked with businesses of all sizes across the UK and internationally, helping them build benefit strategies that are effective, cost-efficient and actually understood by the people they’re designed for. That last part matters more than most people realise.

A great package means nothing if employees don’t know what they have or why it matters. My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen – helping businesses get real value from what they’re already spending on their people.

I hold the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning (DipPFS), with further qualifications in group risk, healthcare and international employee benefits through the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). I’ve always believed you need to understand the full picture before you can recommend any part of it – and that’s as true for a small business owner as it is for a global employer.

My law background taught me to dig into the detail, ask the right questions, and keep the focus on what actually matters to the person in front of you. The technical side is important, but it’s the conversations – about what a business wants to achieve and what its people genuinely need – that’s where good advice really begins.

Outside of work, life is busy in the best possible way. I’ve got young children, so most weekends you’ll find me on the sidelines of a football pitch. I’m a Scotland rugby fan, a Formula One follower, and I make it to the gym most lunchtimes – it keeps me sharp for the afternoons. I’m based in Edinburgh, but regularly visit clients across the UK – because some conversations are best had in person.