Honoured to be profiled on Octo

Alan Easter • March 12, 2021

Honoured to be profiled on Octo Members - reproduced here with their kind permission.



How would you sum up your role, and what for you is the biggest source of job satisfaction?


The financial planning profession has developed beyond all recognition during my time. Starting a career in the early 80s and following it through many different reinventions has been a privilege. 


I doubt whether we have witnessed such a period of constant change and development in financial services before, but the change keeps coming and we need to remain fluid and flexible in our approach.


In the final third of my career I am an investor in some fantastic planning firms, working with great management teams, supporting them building amazing businesses. 


I also support growth-minded boards and executive teams move through what Charles Handy would call the ‘Second Curve’.

What I am learning is that changing an existing business that has history and culture is far more challenging than building from scratch.


Outside the current crisis, what are the biggest challenges currently impacting your job?


People. A nervousness about change, the bravery required to accept that there might be a different and better way, the energy that needs to be invested to maintain the direction even when the plan is being bumped.


Great leaders are hard to find, but when you start to work with one it is enlightening.


What are your key priorities as we enter 2021?


Keeping an open mind, remaining flexible in my approach and developing further my listening skills. 


None of us really knows what a world post C-19 and Brexit is going to look like, we can only guess. 


So forums like Octo that offer us the ability to ask questions, debate issues and test opinions are invaluable.


What’s your take on the current regulatory landscape?


Empathetic. For the high-quality firms that have developed pre- and post- 2012 I can understand the frustration about FSCS levies, PI costs, and a feeling of being over-regulated. But whilst we still have BSPS, unregulated sales, and magpie behaviour the regulator has to be concerned. 


“For us to truly be a profession, my belief is that we need to take collective responsibility. 
My hope is that one day we will come together with a collective body that has stature and authority, something that is clearly lacking right now.”


Who would you credit as having the biggest influence on your career so far?


I have always said that I am not a bright man, I have been blessed by being surrounded by a lot of bright people who have been happy to share their wisdom with me. And, yes, I do realise how cheesy that sounds! But it is true. 


We work in a profession that continually gives, and is not afraid to share, and I am continually learning from the people around me.


If pushed to name anyone there would be two people who stand out. James Gilchrist who was a great leader and I do not know anyone who created so many legends, and Mark Lund who counselled me as my boss and taught me that effort means nothing without intellect.


Of the people you currently spend time with (personally and/or professionally), who brings out your best qualities? And what are those qualities?


I am very lucky to be Board Trustee of St Wilfrids, a palliative care institution in West Sussex. 


My involvement started 18 years ago when they looked after my Dad as he passed away and I promised myself that I would support them. 


I spent the next 15 years making excuses why I was too busy and driving past their front door.


Three years ago I called them to offered to ‘rattle some buckets’ and the involvement has developed ever since. I sit on the Board, the finance and risk sub-committees, and watching them do ‘what they do’ especially at the moment, is continually humbling.


What would be the single biggest piece of advice you would give to young people wanting to work in financial services?


Do it. Don't hesitate. Find a great leader and get under their wing. Listen, learn, question, network.


What’s the one topic you think the financial services community should be discussing more?


Behaviours. We are still an industry, but it is increasingly being populated by more professionals. 


“For me, a professional is determined not by exams, or outcomes, but by behaviours.”


We work in an environment where the first two are measured, but the last one isn’t. Address this and I believe that a lot of our issues will mend themselves.

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Over (mis)quoted Chinese proverbs aside, we live in interesting times. I am looking out of the doors of my lounge across a river at a time when the traffic over the bridge is usually backed up but today it is as quiet as an early Sunday morning. Whatever your view on how BJ and his Gang have handled this crisis, things are very different, and will be for a while yet. For anyone having a beer in the Black Swan last week a lot of the talk was around if it will be a permanent change, or we will do what we always do and revert back to type as soon as we are released back into the world? Maybe I was too busy navel gazing before to notice, but the revelation for me over the past few weeks has been the amount of goodwill that has been created within our community. The Octo Pub Crawl, the lang cat weekly briefings, Next Wealth, Yardstick, Para PowWow. If you are like me, someone who loves to be continually learning, the last three weeks have been fantastic. I get the feeling that those who contribute have a genuine desire to help and support, nothing is expected in return, and debate is courteous, professional and productive. Bravo. So I am confused as to why is it that other platforms still give air to cockwombles who post under pseudonyms? Why do we allow all of this goodwill and positivity to be overshadowed by a small group of keyboard warriors hiding behind a name that they, and they alone, think is clever or humorous. I give you Succession's announcement yesterday as my example. I have never met the CEO but I very much doubt that he is anything other than extremely competent. Inflexion wouldn’t have him in place otherwise, and he certainly wouldn’t have been able to recruit people of the calibre of Sarah Lord if he was a fool. They have had to make some very difficult decisions and these decisions will impact peoples lives. Sad as it maybe, it's not the first time, and wont be the last, that events move against us. But the business decision is not what has made me pick up the keyboard. My anger (?) is aimed at those who attack others who offer genuine feedback to the article, who are prepared to debate and offer a view, just like the forums mentioned above. Hayley North, of Rose and North, makes a very sensible point about business, or rather revenue, mix and the impact it has on her business only to receive online personal attacks from anonymous posters. I have never had the pleasure of talking to Ms North personally but have been in her company when she contributed to a group discussion in a room full of people I admire and respect, and her comments were professional, passionate, balanced and respectful. I am certain that it will mean nothing to her, but I was really impressed. She won me over. There was nothing in her comments yesterday that warranted the responses, especially without filter or control over anonymity. Maybe the nature of Zoom, Teams, Crowdcast etc where you can see your accuser means the keyboard warriors are fearful of recognition, just like the thief with their hood up, but isn’t now the time for these other platforms to refuse comments from people not authenticated and named? The excuse that people will not contribute if their employer can see who they are should have been retired long ago. It is outdated and the success of forums like Octo only goes to show that debate, even disagreements, can be held in a constructive and professional manner. I truly hope that when this is over we continue to share and be supportive, and that the keyboard warrior is moved to extinction just like all the other animals that refuse to adapt through changing times.