This year, Money Marketing produced another bumper crop of MM Meets interviews with CEOs and founders of advice firms, platforms and investment management companies.
2024 marks the fourth year of our MM Meets series, and we’re gearing up for even more exciting interviews in the year ahead. In the meantime, enjoy some of the highlights from the last 12 months!
MM Meets… Tyndall Investment Management CEO Alex Odd: ‘I had no ambition at all to run a business’
In the first MM Meets of 2024, Tyndall Investment Management CEO and founder Alex Odd describes how the company was created almost by accident and how it has a 360-degree relationship with financial advisers.
Reflecting on the 2008 financial crisis, Odd said that it taught him “it’s not about when things are great and going up; it’s about when things are tougher”.
MM Meets… Quilter CEO Steven Levin: ‘I’ve always loved solving problems’
Quilter CEO Steven Levin, who took up his position in November 2022, stressed the need for evolution rather than revolution in the company, for “building out our distribution, supporting advisers, enhancing our proposition and driving efficiency in our business”.
“At times, I’ve been pushed or thrown into the deep end,” said Levin of his career so far. “Sometimes I’ve had bosses retire and give me their job, which can be daunting. But I’ve also thrived on that. And I’ve always had good support and mentorship.”
MM Meets… Jasper Berens: ‘I thought: this is the moment’
CCLA head of client relationships and distribution Jasper Berens explained how it was Sir David Attenborough’s 2020 documentary, ‘A Life on Our Planet’, that fortified his decision to move into the world of sustainability investing.
“It made the point very strongly that capitalism could play a part in the shift to a more sustainable future,” Berens pointed out. “And I thought, ‘Right, this is the moment. How can I use my 30 years of client-facing experience to make a difference in the world?’”
MM Meets… Andrea Montague: ‘Every business needs to focus on the areas it’s good at’
When Money Marketing spoke to Andrea Montague, she was Brooks Macdonald’s chief financial officer (CFO). She is now CEO of the firm – a sterling achievement when only 9% of FTSE 350 companies have a female CEO.
She outlined Brooks Macdonald ambitious plan to become a top-five wealth manager in the UK through both organic and inorganic growth while recounting her younger days growing up in Northern Ireland during the latter half of the Troubles.
MM Meets… Ed Dymott: ‘Never be satisfied with the status quo’
Benchmark Capital chief executive Ed Dymott told Money Marketing about his enthusiasm for Formula 1 fan and how he divides his time between Benchmark’s Horsham office and its London base at Schroders.
Dymott explained that Benchmark is “broader than a consolidator” as whenever Benchmark buys another IFA, it has already worked with it for a defined period.
MM Meets… Louise Jeffreys: ‘I love getting under the bonnet of a business’
Avid runner Louise Jeffreys explained how a chance encounter playing softball in her home town of Bristol led to her creating Gunner & Co, the financial services M&A experts.
Since the company’s creation, managing director Jeffreys has fallen in love with the advice profession and genuinely believes its service helps to define and execute succession plans “really does help people”.
MM Meets… Parmenion CEO Martin Jennings: ‘We’re just trying to build a great product’
Parmenion chief executive Martin Jennings told Money Marketing how then Axa Life CEO Paul Evans first introduced him to platforms.
Growing up in a household of seven brothers came with unique challenges, said Evans, but also gave him a competitive side. This has certainly come in handy as, in the eight years since he joined Parmenion, the firm’s assets have risen to just over £12bn across the group.
The chair and founder of sustainable investment firm Castlefield John Eckersley explained how the business has gone from two employees in 2002 to more than 50 today.
In Eckersley’s view, finding the right people is “essential” because Castlefield’s employees are not just the “beating heart” of the company – they also own a part of it. Every employee, he said, has the option to become a co-owner of the business upon successful completion of their six-month probation.
MM Meets… Unbiased founder and chief executive Karen Barrett: ‘You have to dig deep and keep going’
Unbiased founder and chief executive Karen Barrett tells Money Marketing how the birth of her second child with a heart condition inspired her to start the company.
“It was only then I realised that I hadn’t made any financial plans for such an eventuality,” remembers Barrett.
Unbiased now connects people to financial advisers and manages over £80bn in assets. In the 15 years since its launch, it’s estimated that Unbiased has helped 10 million people access the right IFA.
MM Meets… Aberdein Considine Wealth’s Jen Paice: ‘I thrive on challenges that require bold action’
Aberdein Considine Wealth CEO Jen Paice initially wanted to be a physiotherapist, but she pointed out that this ambition brought with it a lot of transferable skills she uses at the Scottish IFA firm.
The business is part of the Scottish law firm Aberdein Considine. “It started as a solicitor estate agency and it has evolved into financial services and other legal services,” explained Paice.
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