Flex and the City - Great leadership in financial services

Rob Williams is someone I met as a 21-year-old starting out in the asset management industry.

In this great podcast, Rob talks about the critical importance of values-based leadership and changing the language in asset management to better connect with consumers.

His company, Royal London Asset Management, was originally formed in 1861. Driven by the purpose of serving the community, the values that held true then are still being lived today.

True sustainability with purpose and heart I would say!

Rob talked about the future of distribution and the challenges that the asset management industry faces, and the leadership skills required to navigate through them in order to help people for another 162 years!

Catherine Battershill  is a profoundly passionate leader who talks about the need to build trust in asset management with the public.

As an ex-marketeer, Catherine believes more can be done to re-write the script when it comes to how asset management markets itself.

From true board diversity,  how great leaders drive culture, direction, and motivation, they bring leadership skills and the power of self-awareness to boards.

If you work in the investment fund industry and sit on a board or aspire to sit on a board this is a must listen. 

Peter Brown cares. He cares about community, collaboration, and the importance of contacts (relationships).

He is deeply passionate about harnessing the collective and how financial services can really act as a force for good in the world.

He shares wonderful stories about how the power of incrementalism, leadership, and a "one team" approach can harness the power of sustainable performance.

If you are curious about how to achieve sustainable performance either personally or for your organisation this is a must listen!!

Steven Van Tuijl is a Leader.

Human, Humble and Honest.

A man born in the flatlands of the Netherlands, he shares his passion for taking inspiration, energy and perspective from the Swiss Alps. 

He shares stories of the great Ray Dalio as well as the incredible ability Michael Schumacher had to harness the collective within the team to ensure success. 

Steven shares his belief that the future of financial services depends on the industry not resisting the future but embracing it.

In that vein, Steven invites young leaders to "Listen very closely but challenge everything you hear!"

Kavitha Ramachandran is a legend in the Luxembourg financial services industry.

In this podcast, Kavitha shares her story of growing up in Chennai,  coming to Europe and joining the financial services industry.

Kavitha embodies a growth mindset. She is deeply curious, authentic, open-minded and prepared to step out of her comfort zone. 

Courageous and daring are the words that come to mind.

Listen to this podcast where Kavitha shares her thoughts on how financial services could benefit from embracing some of the key attributes of Indian music, such as agility, improvisation, & energy.

Micaela Forelli is the first Italian to be interviewed on Flex & the City. 

As with many Italian greats, she is innovative, kind and visionary. 🇮🇹

Micaela talks about the critical importance of continuous innovation in financial services, plus how some of the softer leadership skills such as caring, being inclusive, getting curious, and maintaining a growth mindset create the most effective leaders.

She also shares her thoughts on what advice Leonardo Da Vinci would give to financial services if he were alive today.

Una bellissima intervista!! 👏

For anyone who has worked in the financial services industry in Luxembourg, you will undoubtedly have heard of, worked for or met the inimitable Chris Edge. 

Chris shared the importance of doing the right thing and supporting others without fear. Chris talks about the need to take opportunities as they come up and for leaders to embody an "entrepreneurial" spirit and energy.

He is the epitome of a growth mindset even though it means stepping out of your comfort zone from time to time (he is even living this now learning French and Cabinet making!)

It was crystal clear how passionate Chris is about the future of the Luxembourg fund sector and the need for collective action to make Luxembourg even more attractive for financial services talent.

Let's harness this great collective!!!

"Don't allow the regulatory imperative to extinguish agency and the power of people " said Noel Fessey, CEO of European Fund Administration, with enthusiasm and sapient wisdom.

I loved interviewing Noel who brings a wealth of knowledge from the military and from history to the financial services industry. He speaks with passion and authority about the way companies can create sustainable performance by enabling individuals to grow and create added value through a culture of agency.

A sailor, a mountaineer and a historian - Noel is a true compass that inspires people to advance, grow and flourish.

Sage. Wise. Judicious. A must-listen for any leader in current times

Campbell Fleming is a legend in the financial services industry. He is CEO of AssetCo plc and Chairman of The Big Exchange.

Anyone who has met Campbell will be touched by the way he makes them feel. Human.

From a humble background down under to barrister to financial services game changer. Humility remains firmly at Campbell's heart.❤️

Campbell mentions the words client and client satisfaction with a passion that is inspiring, honest, and infectious. He truly believes that the sustainable performance of the industry will be dependent on our ability to engage with clients in a language that all clients will understand and appreciate. 

In short - straight talk, client focus, be human.

This week on Flex and the City I interview Jurgen Vanhoenacker, Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Wealth Structures at Lombard International Assurance.

Have you heard about AC/DC and the way in which they managed sustainable performance?  Meet Financial Services' very own lead guitarist and celebrated hard rocker Jurgen Vanhoenacker. 

There are lots of parallels: Jurgen is charismatically a hard rocker. Tough, kind, supportive, compassionate yet energetic, and unfiltered passion. WSYWIG. 

The bottom line with Jurgen is he is, like other great rock stars, in service of other human beings. His clients, their stories and needs; his people, their stories and needs and services to greater humanity. 

It's a gig worth listening to.