Inside Wealth

Nicky Sevel isn’t your typical founder.

After growing up in Perth, backpacking across Eastern Europe at 20, and building a career across two continents, she saw what others overlooked: the advice industry isn’t held back by bad intent — it’s held back by disjointed systems and unreliable data.

In this episode, Nicky talks about betting on herself, facing down rejections, and why founding Woven Advice meant tuning out the noise and building something the industry didn’t realise it needed.

If you’ve ever been underestimated — or had a napkin idea you couldn't shake — this one’s for you.

Join your host, Thomas Spencer, and David Davies, the Founder of Navos Technologies, as they unpack David’s journey from a Liverpool public school to a board position at Hargreaves Lansdown. 

David also shares his stories of founding Navos Technologies and helping to establish a technology hub in Warsaw, Poland.  

Throughout the episode, David provides us with a wealth of insights from a career in IT and the wealth management industry. He highlights the importance of communication and trust within leadership teams, as well as between providers and their clients. 

He also stresses the need for financial services companies to adapt to new technologies, and urges professionals at all stages to invest in their digital tools. 

They also touch on David’s personal interests, such as reading and music. 

This episode is full of valuable insights from an atypical career, as well as an unusual perspective on the wealth management industry. 

Tune in now to discover how your IT systems can affect the success of your work in wealth management. 

Discover the impact that starting your career in the army can have on your future leadership capabilities in this compelling conversation with your host, Thomas Spencer, and Jonathan Polin, the CEO of atomos. 

In this episode, Jonathan shares the lessons he has taken from his days in the army and how he applies them to his current role as atomos’s CEO. 

He delves into topics like gut decisions, communicating strategy, and crisis management, and explores how they both apply to the battlefield and the boardroom. 

Jonathan also touches on his experiences of being an out, gay CEO, as well as the value of diversity and inclusivity in the financial sector. 

Towards the end of the episode, Jonathan also shares his predictions for the future of the industry, while highlighting the role that younger generations will play in it. 

Listen now to discover how your leadership mindset can be shaped by every experience you have. 

Find out how a company culture can affect its outcomes in this conversation between your host, Thomas Spencer, and Tracey Davidson, the CEO Hampden & Co Bank. 

Tracey shares what drew her to Hampden & Co, citing their empowering outlook on employee autonomy and customer-centric operations as two of the deciding factors. 

She goes on to talk about how you can know what the best decision is for your company at any given time as a CEO. 

Her response to differing levels of subject matter expertise and holistic understandings of the business as a whole provide fascinating insights into leadership in wealth management. 

This episode also covers some of Tracey’s earlier aspirations, from wanting to be a nun to plans to work as a music teacher before finding her place in banking. 

She also emphasises the importance of good colleagues throughout the episode, and stresses the value of surrounding yourself with the right people. 

Listen now to find out how your company culture could shape everything from your customer satisfaction levels to who your next CEO will be. 

Michele shares her story of growing up in a large family, including the role that older siblings have in supporting their younger counterparts, and the different value that she gets from growing up in such a tight-knit group. 

She also explains the impact that her background had on her education and career, before advocating for increased DE&I initiatives to help people from a wider range of circumstances enter the wealth management industry. 

This episode is full of lessons about social mobility and the importance of initiatives like the Wealth Academy that Michele helped to establish at Aviva. 

Michele also talks about the transferable skills that she has applied to the wealth management space from her earlier career, such as customer-centred communication that she learned in a telecom job. 

Tune in to discover how you could help to shape the future of the wealth management industry. 

This week, your host, Thomas Spencer, was joined by Nick Raine, the CEO of Söderberg & Partners, to talk about the company’s UK platform, including the team he’s built to run it and the technology they use. 

In this episode, Nick also discusses his background in business and finance, covering his education and early career before touching on the leadership training that has led to his current position. 

He also shares his experiences of working in multinational teams, covering everything from the cultural differences to different working styles he has observed in Söderberg. 

Nick shares the impact that culture has had on his team, both as an employee and as a leader. 

He credits the company culture for the progress that Söderberg has made in the last few years, crediting open communication for the wealth of innovation they’ve experienced. 

Listen in now to discover how your working style could impact your success in wealth management.

The Executives in Wealth Management podcast is brought to you by Signia Search & Selection, a leading executive search firm specialising in sourcing exceptional leaders in the financial space.   

To learn more, follow the link below: ⁠Signia Search & Selection⁠ 

Join your host, Thomas Spencer, and Nneka Orji, the Senior Director of Alvarez & Marsal, for a fascinating conversation about goal setting and its role in the wealth management industry.  

Nneka has a fascinating history, featuring a multicultural childhood and an unusual career path, which has given her some unique and engaging perspectives which she shares throughout this episode.  

She also talks about the importance of communication, both among wealth management teams and with your clients. She highlights the different ways that you can improve your communication skills and use them to achieve your goals.  

During the episode, Nneka also reflects on the challenges she has faced in previous roles. She shares the lessons she has learned from each one, as well as her advice for wealth management professionals who are in similar positions.  

She also shares her views on the skills that executives should develop in the current working environment.  

Tune in to find out how goal setting could impact your career.  

The Executives in Wealth Management podcast is brought to you by Signia Search & Selection, a leading executive search firm specialising in sourcing exceptional leaders in the financial space.   

To learn more, follow the link below: Signia Search & Selection 

Unpack the impact of AI solutions within the wealth management industry in this conversation between your host, Thomas Spencer, and Amal Jolly, the Founder and CEO of Saturn AI. 

Amal started the episode by sharing his unique journey through the Indian navy and into the financial sector, driven by a desire for financial stability and a love of innovation.  

He also spoke about the observations that inspired him to create Saturn AI, and how solving a problem in the sector has been both rewarding and challenging.  

Throughout the episode, Amal explained the problems he’s seen in back-office systems across the wealth management space, from under-utilised automations to untapped potential within financial services teams.  

He also shared his biggest lessons from founding a company, promoting iteration, team building and customer care as the cornerstones of a successful business.  

Listen along to find out more about a fascinating figure in financial services.  

The Executives in Wealth Management podcast is brought to you by Signia Search & Selection, a leading executive search firm specialising in sourcing exceptional leaders in the financial space.   

To learn more, follow the link below: Signia Search & Selection 

Join your host, Thomas Spencer, and Ben Hampton, the CEO of Wealth Wizards, as they discuss how to navigate transitions in the wealth management sector. 

Ben shares his career story, emphasising the importance of curiosity as he moved between companies and roles. He also shares his motivation behind moving from Standard Life to Wealth Wizards, as he pursues a different standard of service.

He also talks about the regulatory changes that are set to impact the industry in 2025 and beyond. 

Throughout the conversation, Ben shares his advice for other executives, especially those who are new to an executive-level role. He promotes building a network, avoiding being overly critical, and learning from others' experiences as much as possible.

He also emphasises the value of human connection in leadership, stating that empathy and consideration are vital to effective management. 

Tune in now to find out more about customer-focused wealth management. 

The Executives in Wealth Management podcast is brought to you by Signia Search & Selection, a leading executive search firm specialising in sourcing exceptional leaders in the financial space.  

To learn more, follow the link below: Signia Search & Selection 

David Newman, the CEO of Firenze, and your host, Thomas Spencer, sat down to unpick the learnings from a two time founder and active angel investor.

David shared his story of transitioning from a corporate, client-facing role in private banking to his current position as the Founder of a SaaS solving a proposition challenge for non-bank wealth managers.

During this episode, David explained how Lombard lending could change how investors and wealth managers operate within the financial sector, suggesting that it provides flexible, cost-effective lending solutions that are otherwise inaccessible.  

David also shared his insights as a former Angel Investor, giving advice to other founders who are looking to secure investment opportunities for their companies.  

Listen in to discover more about atypical avenues within the wealth management space.  

The Executives in Wealth Management podcast is brought to you by Signia Search & Selection, a leading executive search firm specialising in sourcing exceptional leaders in the financial space.   

To learn more, follow the link below: Signia Search & Selection