Professionally
My first degree was in Science, which I followed up with a Masters in Business Administration a few years later. It was during the MBA that I found my passion for financial services and majored in capital markets and investment management. I followed that up with a Diploma in Financial Planning and then a Graduate Diploma in Certified Financial Planning.
I entered the world of financial services in 1998 as a financial adviser and have been advising clients and running financial advisory businesses ever since.
My main tasks are to make sure the business is operating compliantly and efficiently, and to deliver excellent, independent advice to clients.
Personally
Much of my spare time is spent very happily with family. As a husband and father of 4 children there is nothing better than spending time together.
I start every day at the gym and make a point of biking everyday whatever the weather.
I speak reasonable French, and een kleine bijtje Dutch and am working on improving it. When I master Dutch, next on the list is Italian.
Likes
- Long bike rides along the Dutch coast
- Rugby
- Meeting and working with people from around the world
- Good coffee
- Reading a book in the sunshine on a European café terrace
- Family Scrabble battles
- Ed’s jokes (sometimes)
Dislikes
- Inefficiency
- Discrimination
- Shopping
- Slow Wi-Fi
Spotlight questions
Perfect weekend:
Hiking in the Scottish Highlands with family and good friends with James Hughes setting the pace
Favourite Holiday Destination:
The French countryside
Favourite song to play in the car:
I live in the Netherlands, we don’t have a car, we ride bikes! If I were driving I would listen to The Cat Empire
If I could be a fictional character I would be…
Mr. Incredible
If I could turn an activity into an Olympic sport it would be:
Biking to the office in a rainstorm
When the dessert menu arrives, I’m looking for:
Chocolate unless there is crème brulée
Three qualities that draw me to new people:
Open, engaging, positive
My pet peeve is:
Flat bike tyres
The best gift I received was:
The ring my wife gave me from The Great Frog in London
Three people at my dream dinner party:
Leo Tolstoy, Nick Cave, Eleanor of Aquitaine
Three small things that make my day better:
Trains with WiFi, a morning espresso, podcasts