I began my career in Financial Services in September 1992 having joined City Bank, a reputable institution which took great pride in delivering the highest standards of personal service to its clients.

My first working day was Black Wednesday when the government was forced to withdraw sterling from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). The net effect of high German and British interest rates had arguably put Britain into recession and large numbers of businesses failed, and the housing market crashed.

At this time there was mass panic, clients were very concerned that their long term welfare would be impacted.

Strong relationships and high levels of trust were needed over the coming years for investments to return to positive levels.

I wanted to gain more experience of working with Private clients so I joined Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, which at that time was a financial advisor specialising in holistic investment advice to high net worth individuals.

One of my roles was to construct, manage and monitor portfolios. This is where I learnt that picking a successful fund manager isn’t about past performance.

In 2004 I moved to the Bank of Scotland Investment Service, which provided me with an opportunity to build relationships based on service. My financial recommendations were designed to deliver a means for clients to achieve their goals and aspirations over the short, medium and long term.

This was very positive for me in developing my career. However, in time I came to observe that across the Bank there was a shift towards the bank's business needs overshadowing the requirements of its clients.

Thus, when in 2011 I was invited to join St. James's Place, I was delighted to accept. St. James's Place has provided me with the opportunity to build a successful business based on providing the best possible advice available to my clients.

The freedom to make the best decisions for their families or businesses based on their individual aspirations and goals.

Everyone has objectives in life, be it buying a bigger home, growing a business, educating children or perhaps retiring early, but these ambitions are unlikely to be achieved without effective planning.