Unsung IFA heroes #4 Derek Stewart

Each month Professional Adviser and PanaceaIFA honour those individuals that go above and beyond. May’s winner is Derek Stewart, MD of Strategic Asset Managers.

Despite having been in financial services for 34 years, Derek Stewart is a fit and energetic 50-year old, as anyone who has met him will agree.

At the start of his career, Stewart worked his way up from teaboy to regional director in a large financial services corporation. However, he soon became disillusioned with a business model in which clients and staff took second place.

Walking away from a well paid and secure job, but with a belief in always putting people before profit and a determination to succeed, Stewart spent the last 15 years building an IFA wealth management business – Strategic Asset Managers (SAM).

His philosophy remains that if you look after your clients and your team then you will have a profitable and sustainable business.

Driving force

Stewart is never afraid of change or innovation, and makes maximum use of technology and new available resources to help his clients manage their investments. His forward-thinking view is at the core of his business.

For both Stewart and his well-qualified staff, the fast-approaching RDR is a fantastic opportunity to grow, learn and continue to deliver outstanding service to clients in an independent space.

He is using this time of change in the industry as a driving force to inspire his team to not simply tick all the gap-fill boxes of the post-RDR world, but to truly embrace the spirit of this change. With this belief, he goes the extra mile to help his staff understand the benefits RDR to their clients and business.

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