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 used to play rugby and these days enjoy watching from the side-lines resisting the temptation for just one more game.
I speak reasonable French, and een kleine bijtje Dutch, which I am working on improving. I enjoy reading across a broad range of subjects and with a particular interest in history. I always have a couple of books on the go. I appreciate a well-made espresso, and a well selected wine. looking to Ed for a recommendation for the wine, not the coffee.
What I did during lockdown
In lockdown, professionally, whilst we were very busy working with and helping our clients, I made up for the lack of social interaction by participating in and hosting a large number of online events. In the first phase of lockdown we hosted more than 40 webinars! We continued to do our fortnightly radio show, Friday Finance on Expat Radio, and for fun Ed and I wrote the content and hosted what became the famous Black Swan Capital Friday night lockdown virtual pub quiz. We were grateful for the first ease in lockdown restrictions to have a break!
I caught up on the recent Booker prize winning books, discovered some interesting local history podcasts (check out History of the Netherlands, hosted by an Australian in Amsterdam, and How to Invent a Country from the BBC), and tried to maintain a consistent exercise regime in between intermittent gym closures and restricted outdoor activity.
Whilst we were fortunate to avoid any serious personal impacts of covid, the upside was more time with the family, and the downside not being able to see my children that were off at university.
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
