Over the years, we’ve always been keen to ensure that BlueSKY deliver the very best service to clients. One of the ways we have done this is for the management team to retain ownership of the business. We’ve always felt that selling would mean the focus moves to delivering value for external shareholders, not for our valued clients.
What this means is that our policy has always been one of ‘internal succession’. We want to recruit talent, promote from within, and create a team of experienced and skilled professionals who can continue to run the business for years and decades to come.
Of course, in the long term, it means that clients may see changes to the business and to personnel. So, while he has no intention of leaving us any time soon, we thought it might be useful for long-serving director Mark to share some of his plans for the business in the coming years.
Over to you, Mark.
Building a financial services practice that works for clients
I started work in financial services in February 1987. That’s a long time ago; indeed, when financial services as we know it was in its infancy. In those days, there were no qualifications necessary to give financial advice and regulation was minimal. However, some 33 years and a lot of exams later, I’m still here!
Now a Chartered Financial Planner and Senior Partner of BlueSKY, I’m proud to have worked with a great team to build BlueSKY into the successful business that it is now. We look after over £100 million of assets for clients and have created an environment where the whole team works hard to deliver the best financial planning service and support possible.
Over time, it is my intention to start to take a back seat and practise what I have preached to so many of my clients over the years: retirement!
Despite the occasional offer from other acquisitive businesses, the other partners and I remain firmly of the belief that BlueSKY should continue to be owned by a management team that has a passion to serve its clients, and not external shareholders who may have motivations other than delivering the best service possible to clients.
As such, internal succession is the BlueSKY plan.
Some eight years ago Rob Starling and I joined forces. Rob was a director with another financial planning firm and brought a wealth of experience to BlueSKY. This has helped us to shape the award-winning business we have now.
The plan is that Rob will ultimately be my successor in the business. Over time, the expectation is that Rob will take over the full responsibility of looking after BlueSKY, allowing me a bit of well-earned time off.
Of course, we will let you know as more of our plans unfold. I’ll certainly be around for a while yet, though!
Get in touch
If you’d like to find out how our approach to financial planning can add value, please get in touch. Contact us by email at info@blueskyifas.co.uk or call us on 01189 876655.