Keep faith in what you are doing
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Andrew Stevens My Beautiful Career
What was your first job in financial services?
My first job in financial services was working at a provincial stockbroker. I was running nominee companies for a small stockbroker in the South of England.
What attracted you to the industry?
Difficult to tell really. I was one of those kids who, this probably makes me sound a bit sad, but I was one of those kids who paid attention more to the news of financial aspect of things and what was going on with the world than I did with the football.
How would you describe your current role?
Varied and challenging. It is quite an interesting one because I have assumed the role from my previous chief executive but many elements of what I am doing now have been no different than when I joined my firm in the first place. It is challenging, it is interesting, and I get to work with a lot of good people.
Before you became chief operating officer, you were compliance officer for Way. How did you get involved in compliance?
As my background was in stockbroking, I enjoyed the investment side of life, the stocks and shares. As my roles developed, I eventually happened into compliance and it was a means whereby I could progress in a growing aspect of the industry and still remain a core part of the industry I enjoyed, which was the investment and fund management side of things.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
I joined Way and I have not looked back. It was not my intention to leave my previous employer but the opportunity at Way came up and, as I say, I have not looked back.
What is the best piece of career advice that anyone has ever given you?
Believe in yourself and have faith in the fact that you can do what you know you can do. Someone once told me not to be fooled by the fact that the self-confidence can take some time to catch up with you, so have faith in what you are doing.
What is the biggest challenge in your current role as chief operating officer at Way Fund Managers?
Way Funds is in a very interesting part of its development and there are a large number of positive work streams or projects going on. The most difficult thing is that I have always been very hands-on, so it is striking that balance trying to keep all the plates spinning.
Where do you see yourself in five years time?
At the head of a very profitable and influential group, the Way Group.
Finally, you are currently involved in fund-raising for a trip to Uganda. What is the trip in aid of?
Next summer, I am taking 30 of my scouts over to Uganda, where we will be working with Ugandan scouts. We are around three- quarters of the way through a fund- raising exercise to raise £100,000 to build a vocational training centre. Fund-raising is being co-ordinated through the website www.Nile2010.co.uk
Andrew Stevens is chief operating officer at Way Fund Managers
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