What do you do?

I help business owners, senior executives and people with more complex financial needs make sense of their money and build a clear plan for the future.

Financial planning is about far more than pensions and investments. It’s about giving people the confidence to enjoy the life they’ve worked hard to create. Whether that’s retiring earlier, spending more time with family or making once-in-a-lifetime experiences happen, I help clients understand what they can afford without the fear of running out of money.

Why do you do it?

Like many advisers, I didn’t set out to work in financial planning. I spotted a trainee adviser role with Carbon Financial in my local newspaper and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made.

What I enjoy most is moving the conversation beyond tax, investments and pensions. The real value comes from understanding what matters most to each client, whether that’s family, career, travel or personal ambitions, and helping them use their wealth to achieve those goals.

What kind of projects have you been involved in?

Some of the most rewarding moments come when clients realise they have more freedom than they thought.

I’ve worked with business owners after the sale of their companies, helping them understand they don’t need to “go again” because they’ve already built enough wealth to enjoy the next chapter of life.

I’ve also helped senior executives retire five years earlier than planned, giving them the opportunity to spend more time with family and tick off bucket-list adventures while they’re still fit and healthy.

One client was able to access their pension flexibly to buy a campervan, which they now use to explore Scotland, the UK and northern Europe throughout their retirement.

What’s on top of your bucket list?

I’ve been lucky enough to tick off a few big ambitions already, including watching Scotland at both the European Championships in Cologne and the World Cup in Boston, as well as seeing Dundee United play in Europe in Vienna.

Next on the list is experiencing the atmosphere of a Formula 1 race at one of the sport’s iconic circuits, such as Monza or Spa.

Outside of that, my wife and I are gradually working our way through our family travel bucket list with our two young boys. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, more of Asia and South America are all still firmly on the list.