What’s it like to be a Foster Denovo adviser?

Ian Horne asks David Wilkinson and Jamie Smith what the national advice firm, Foster Denovo, does to make them feel listened to, and how a growing business can avoid the cookie-cutter mentality.

New Model Adviser’s (NMA) series on advice giants has been looking at life inside the nationals and networks across the UK. Following their interview with Foster Denovo chief executive Roger Brosch, NMA met with equity Partner David Wilkinson and private client Partner Jamie Smith.

“I genuinely think there’s no better place to be at the moment,” says Smith, now in his third year of being a Foster Denovo adviser. His previous roles were at St James’s Place and Hargreaves Lansdown.

Smith says Foster Denovo allows him to enjoy some of the benefits more typically associated with a small IFA. That might seem odd as Foster Denovo has 76 advisers across eight offices. But given the scale of his previous employers, it might well feel more tightknit.

“The thing that struck me when I first joined was how nice the people were, and the culture,” says Smith. He says there is an open door to speak to management, and mentions recent meetings where advisers have got together to discuss improvements to the proposition.

“In my opinion it’s different to a lot of companies,” he adds. “There’s a genuine approach to put the client at the heart of what we do.”

Wilkinson echoes Smith by claiming Foster Denovo combines the best of big business support and small firm dynamism. “If people have good ideas, we’ll listen. It’s a smaller business feel where you’ve got a bit of control, and a bit of influence and input.”

Read the full article on New Model Adviser here.