Our people
Nick has been with BDO Stoy Hayward for 10 years and has worked in the financial industry for more than 17 years. He is Head of the London Advisory team which advises companies and wealthy individuals on all aspects of pensions and investment planning.
“My financial industry background was in a more technical role and I was looking to branch out into consultancy when I met with BDO Stoy Hayward.”
I think that what made this firm stand out from all the others was its focus on the individual. It was made clear to me that the emphasis here was on finding the middle ground where staff satisfaction was taken just as seriously as client satisfaction. The fact that I’ve been able to progress in the direction and speed I want to is proof of that.
I started out as an assistant consultant but within a year I was given responsibility for my own clients and the job of developing those relationships. An audit partner might refer a client to us who needs advice on their corporate pension scheme. From there, we often find that we can help them in other ways, offering advice on things like life assurance or other employee benefits.
What I find really rewarding is taking those referrals and turning the initial contact into a long-term relationship. I spent the next four or five years as a consultant doing just that and seeing our client list grow and our team grow with it. I’m proud to say that we’re now the trusted adviser to many of the clients we’ve worked with over the years.
I was promoted to Pension Director in 2004 – which gave me team responsibilities in addition to my client-facing job – and was appointed Head of London Advisory this year.
I’d say my progress since joining is typical of the opportunities that come your way at BDO Stoy Hayward. Of course you have to grab them when they present themselves, but you also get plenty of encouragement and support to develop yourself and your skills. As well as doing my professional exams, I’ve also been on numerous internal and external courses. I’ve found that sometimes it can really help to get the outside-world view on a situation.