“I’m a Wealth Management Technical Specialist, on a mission to enhance financial outcomes by delivering engaging and effective bespoke support and training to firms. I am focused on deepening understanding of how personal circumstances impact financial decision making and the interaction with wealth management services.”
A researcher, blogger, writer and trainer on enhancing understanding of how personal circumstances, including age and health, impact decision making.
Designer of bespoke support solutions to enable firms to deliver good outcomes.
Having spent my entire working life in the wealth management industry I am sharing my unique blend of experience and knowledge as a technical specialist.
My passion is to see a truly inclusive approach towards engagement with financial services and particularly wealth management, with no one placed at a disadvantage due to their personal circumstances.
My primarily focus is on delivering training and consultancy to financial sector firms, as I believe this is the most effective way to effect real change, with firms acting as gatekeepers to good outcomes.
Having worked with trustees and attorneys over a number of years I have seen at first hand how daunting the role can be. There often seemed to be a gap to be filled between legal advice and financial planning. Working with the client’s other professionals, I aim to fill this gap.
Continuous learning supported by exams has been a constant feature throughout my career. My qualifications include the Associate Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB) Trustee Diploma, Society of Trustee and Estate Practioneers (STEP) Affiliate, Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Inclusive Financial Planning and Long Term Care specialist qualifications.
However, I also recognise that an inclusive approach to providing support is so much more than a series of exams. I have the privilege of journeying with a large number of clients through the ups and downs of life.
This, together with ‘lived experience’, makes me well placed to provide a both expertise and a ‘safe pair of hands’.
I have both a breadth and depth of experience spread over a number of decades, working with financial service firms of varying size and complexity. This has given me invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities of different kinds of firms. More than anything else, I have developed a deep appreciation of the simple fact that every client and firm is different.
Following graduation from university with a degree in economics, I started my career working as part of a team within the trustee department of a high street bank. This enabled me to benefit from both excellent training and also early exposure to challenging and complex trustee and attorney situations. Something of a baptism of fire.
As I moved up the hierarchy in the bank I become involved in various aspects of relationship and operations team management, all within the wealth management sector, and have subsequently worked with for both multi national firms and those with more of a boutique outlook.
My roles have included trust administration, leading a operations team, relationship manager, financial adviser and technical support. I have played a key role in developing and implementing ‘clients in vulnerable circumstances’ policy and procedures, brought together and led Vulnerability Champions teams, and served proactively on firm wide Advice and Technical Committees and also led a Product Governance team.
Throughout my career I have prepared and delivered engaging training sessions to colleagues at various levels of seniority. These have been both in person and remote, on a 1-2-1 basis, to teams of varying size and firm wide initiatives. This has included designing on line testing modules. A common theme is that my training has always been bespoke. I strongly believe this is the most effective way to gain real engagement. Separating the sound from the noise.
Please excuse a quick plug. To reach as wide an audience as possible I am currently writing a book exploring the potential impact of personal circumstances, and other influences, on financial decision making and why vulnerability should be viewed and supported positively.
Watch this space for a publication date in 2026!
“Having consulted Andrew for many years on tax matters I have consistently found his advice clear, thoughtful and focused.”
ML, Long standing client of one of my former employers
“Andrew’s knowledge and experience of complex technical matters is first class, and he has the ability to communicate those matters in a straightforward and clear way to clients.”
JM, Recently retired Financial Adviser
“Andrew manages to combine the highest level of technical excellence with an audience centred approach, and he brings a passion that is evident from the outset.”
RD, Previously a Paraplanner, now a Financial Adviser
Andrew has a unique delivery style that feels completely bespoke to the learner even when that is in a group session. He really wants to make a difference and ensure that you
learn from his teachings.”
AM, Wealth Technical Specialist
Below are examples of client situations where I have had the privilege to walk alongside in providing support, through my employer at the relevant time.
Living with Dementia
Supporting a client living with dementia and his spouse who, not through choice, became his primary carer. He gradually declined from being able to understand very complex documents to finding a simple withdrawal form challenging.
Living with acute anxiety
Supporting a client living with acute anxiety and, as a result, being vulnerable to scams with regular contact phone calls and also expressing clearly the risks of unsolicited calls. I ensured the appointed attorneys were included where appropriate.
Lacking mental capacity
Supporting the attorney of a client who lost the capacity to make complex financial decisions by ensuring communications were tailored to the specific situation and additional time provided so that the service contact was truly personal.
Supporting Trustees
of a complex trust, including the structure of the trust and understanding the extent of the investment powers, with clear and concise communication and regular meetings.
Financial Abuse
Supporting a client who, it was strongly suspected, was the victim of financial abuse within the family with careful and sensitive engagement with the relevant parties aiming to protect the client from experiencing further financial loss.
