Hi, my name is Paul Short, and I have worked in financial services for nearly 50 years. I left school and joined NatWest before moving in-group to Coots in the 90s. I spent 40 years working in that group, providing quite heavily regulated advice to high-net-worth clients. 

What first made you start thinking about making a change in your career?

What first made me think about moving from where I was to somewhere else, perhaps not even HFMC in particular, was the fact that the advice I gave to the high-net-worth clients I had was independent, which is very, very important to them, and indeed to me, and the bank I worked at ceased to be independent, and it made me pause and look at where I should advise my clients from. 

What was it about HFMC that stood out to you compared to the other options you looked at?

What made me look at HFMC was a happy coincidence. When I left Coots group, I rejoined my old CEO at Deutsche Bank for a brief time, just to help him out for a couple of years, and Deutsche Bank’s largest client in the UK was HFMC Wealth, and they reminded me very much of the independent, family-feel home that I’d come from. 

How did HFMC support you through the process of transitioning your clients across? 

HFMC really helped with the transition of my clients from where they were to receiving independent advice again by making the process as smooth as possible. Logistically, it was very straightforward. Having worked for a very large organisation that was process-driven and made it entirely client-unfriendly, I found myself somewhere that was entirely client-friendly and client-focused. 

How did your clients respond to the transition over to HFMC?

The clients I have responded really well to the move. They were particularly happy to return to fully independent advice that they’d enjoyed for most of the time that I’d advised them. They felt comfortable that the move; from a logistic perspective, was so straightforward and so easy. So, for my clients and indeed me, it was a return to where we most enjoyed our relationship. 

Which three words would you use to describe the culture at HFMC?
The three phrases I choose to describe working at HFMC are client-centric, a family feel, and extremely supportive. 

How does the future at HFMC look for you now you’ve settled into your role? 

When I think about my future at HFMC, it’s really reflective of just how happy I am. I’m 65 this year, and I would have expected to stop work, but I really don’t want to because I’m so happy and my clients are happy. So, it’s an open-ended situation, health willing. 

Are there any team members who’ve particularly supported you since joining HFMC? 

When thinking about my time at HFMC and the people who have been particularly helpful and supportive, three names spring immediately to mind; Glenys, who’s worked with me for 33 years, and has been a constant for my clients, Lisa Hessey has provided pragmatic guidance and counsel, and Jeremy Hoyland remains extremely proud of the business that he built, and that’s largely why it feels like a family. 

What would you say to someone looking for a change or wanting to build a career in financial planning? 

In terms of recommending HFMC Wealth to either people starting out in their financial planning career, or indeed those later in it, as I am, I couldn’t speak highly enough of the company. If you’re just starting out, it’s very nurturing and it’s extremely developmental. And if you have existing clients, you’ll find that they are the center of everything the company does.