What made you come into financial services? Was it an ambition? My Dad was a Chartered Accountant, but I wasn’t that clever. However, like him, a job wearing a suit for work appealed, so I thought, Banks, Building Societies or Insurance Companies. I started at the Head Office of Wolverhampton & Mercia Building Society (after various mergers they became Birmingham Midshires) as a Management Trainee and progressed to Assistant Manager looking after 8 branches and developing local Solicitor, Accountant and Broker relationships. After 9 years I joined L&G as a local ‘Inspector’ (BDM in today’s language), and the rest is history! What made you join Paradigm? Bob Hunt and Paul Hogarth are both inspirational leaders and Paradigm is a terrific business focused on supporting intermediaries, a sector I am very familiar with. I recognised Paradigm as a growing innovative business with an exciting future ahead that I wanted to be a part of. Give us an overview of your role at Paradigm? To develop and maintain mutually profitable, ongoing, interdependent business relationships, be that with existing Paradigm members or brand-new ones. What’s Paradigm’s strength and your favourite things about working here? We’re big enough to compete with any distributor in the UK, but we’re small enough to be personal. Many advisers mention they like being part of the Paradigm ‘family’! My Q&A with Senior Relationship Manager, Neil Jackson 11 SUMMER PROTECTION NEWSLETTER favourite things are the people I work with and my role. How long have you worked in the industry? Since September 1978 – I'll let you do the math! What has been the biggest challenge the industry has faced? There will always be challenges; the industry is and will continue to be incredibly resilient, whatever’s thrown at it, whether that be regulatory changes or another pandemic! What one thing are you really good at? Supporting my colleagues (I hope they agree!). However, I have been known to host a few ‘rockin’ music quizzes in the past 30 years, but don’t ask me too much about the 21st century, I’m struggling! Have you any pets? Not now, our Burman cat Harry died last year, he was irreplaceable. If you could encourage advisers to do one thing what would that be? Embrace the technology available as much as possible. It helps create significant efficiencies and maintains and nurtures ongoing client relationships, a key aspect of Consumer Duty. What do you most enjoy about our industry? Being such an integral and important part of the UK Economy. Whatever the economic conditions, the industry has solutions that protects families and businesses and helps them achieve their goals and aspirations. What is the best advice you have received? “Honesty, integrity and respect. Don’t burn your bridges… and you won’t go far wrong”. As always, please don't hesitate to get in touch either by email or on 07825 270488. Neil Jackson Senior Relationship Manager Paradigm
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