Professionally  

I studied psychology at the University of Nottingham before training to qualify as a sommelier and eventually becoming a consultant. It has been a long time now since I worked in the wine trade, but my job is somehow still built around balancing how much my clients want to spend on enjoying things in the short term with what they should be storing away and carefully maintaining for the future. 

I became a financial advisor back in 2009 and I am very proud to have helped hundreds of clients in Switzerland, the UAE and across the European Union to make their investments more efficient and to better focus on their personal and professional financial objectives. 

We started Black Swan Capital here in the Netherlands to bring a modern, client-focused and target-driven approach to financial advice for all multi-jurisdiction and multi-currency investors and I have been very proud to see this company grow as we help more and more international professionals. 

With the specialist skills I have developed in tax-efficient investment structures and cross-border planning, it is always very gratifying to pass on my knowledge to clients and my colleagues, but I firmly believe that nobody has a monopoly on talent and my work teaches me new lessons and skills every day. 

I am comfortable speaking with clients in English, French and Dutch, which gives even more opportunity for meeting and helping people from diverse backgrounds.

Personally

I have always loved food, wine, sport, travel and socialising. In recent times I was also regularly performing stand-up comedy. At the end of the Covid lockdowns, I was faced with a period of illness that seriously restricted my ability to enjoy any of these, but the support I have had from my family, friends and colleagues has been more than I could ever have asked for. As my recovery continues, this experience is a constant reminder of how life can change at the drop of a hat and I bring this attitude to my work every day. 

I have a beautiful wife and two amazing children who are on a mission to improve my Dutch language skills, while I try to help them understand british humour. Though I can't play rugby anymore, I still go to support my team, Rugby Club The Smugglers in Velserbroek and (just like every retired rugby player) hold out hope that I'll be fit enough for one more match again sometime soon! 

You can always wrap me up in a good conversation about Formula 1, good food and wine, vintage watches or modern art, but the most valuable paintings I will ever know are the ones in my office that my two toddlers gave me as a get-well-soon gift. 

As a weird hobby, I have been recently trying to domesticate a group of Eurasian magpies that visit my garden!