Greater London, England, United Kingdom
I’m an experienced investment platform and wealth executive with a 24-year track record of driving performance, operational excellence, and bottom-line improvement. Having graduated with a BCom in finance my career started in audit and then swiftly moved into a diverse career across the investment industry in Guernsey, South Africa and the UK. My finance focus, backed up by strong analytical and organisational skills, assisted me with my early roles as Finance Manager, (senior) Business Analyst, Operations Manager, and Head of Valuations. The ability to solve complex problems and actively looking for areas where I can make a difference in the business allowed me many opportunities to pioneer and deliver change. I’ve led the design and implementation of various lean operating models for established and start-up initiatives, including the selection, development and implementation of financial and operational technology systems, while having a key focus on robust risk and control frameworks. My last two roles involved starting investment platforms from the ground up, with my initial focus on corporate finance, operational finance, fund management, trading, and regulatory compliance. This evolved into a dual role as Chief Operations Officer and Finance Director (SMF24), holding the steer and accountability for daily Operations, IT, and Finance, where I had a strong focus on People and employee satisfaction in a high-performance environment, bridging the 'language gap' between the operational, technology and finance teams. I’ve always had an affinity for getting the job done, on time and in full. Having grown up in South Africa meant that ‘make a plan’ came as core instinct from a young age, and that resilience was a given, not an option. I’ve also learned that diversity in all its forms was a necessity for high performing teams, and a driver of creativity. Nothing gives me more pleasure than visualising the potential of something or someone, then through time and nurture realising their full value. PS: a number of colleagues, past and present, were kind enough to leave their reviews and impressions of me further below. Please take some time to scroll through their thoughts and remarks.
I lead AdeptLead2 Limited, a UK-based professional services firm operating as a joint venture between Adept Advisory and Lead2 Consulting to deliver the scale and depth of resources needed to service Investment, Transfer Agency and Wealth platform providers at a quality level traditionally associated with global tier-one firms, while maintaining a cost structure that reflects genuine value for money. We combine our partners' intellectual capital, sector experience, and delivery infrastructure with a dedicated UK-based leadership and client relationship function to field highly capable, experienced teams or deliver bespoke consulting engagements.
The closure of VitalityInvest marked the opportune time for a few non-work-related adventures. After 24 years in a fast-paced investment industry, I've decided to take time out and expand my horizons by traveling Europe, upskilling in M&A, exploring exciting business opportunities, and rebuilding neglected relations/networks. Cycling in the Arctic and crossing England on two wheels have been rewarding, but the greatest satisfaction came from spending quality time with family and friends. After all, life is a gift; don't waste it.
I've started my Vitality UK journey as part of a core team building VitalityInvest from the ground up overcoming many challenges, celebrating countless triumphs, and cementing invaluable relationships while doing it. Initially leading and overseeing the design, implementation and ongoing operations for Corporate Finance, Financial and Regulatory reporting, Fund Operations, Finance Operations and Business Integration Systems, but ultimately also taking responsibility for Customer Operations and Systems in my dual role as COO and Finance Director. In May 2020 I was tasked with restructuring the operational model and driving the change roadmap. The restructure delivered an expense reduction of 40%+ despite transaction volume increasing by 200%, through this the employee engagement score (eNPS) remained one of the highest in the Vitality Group. Despite a world class operating system and award-winning service proposition the Vitality Board decided to close the business due to low growth prospects on the back of increased competition and challenges in growing IFA support. After delivering an exceptional wind down process I've decided to explore new opportunities even though having been offered, and served, as Finance Director for Vitality Life.