The financial services industry has seen significant transformations in recent years as a result of technological advancements. Fintech is transforming and reimagining how all financial services are offered across the board.

Founded by Nigel Green, deVere Group is the largest and most successful fintech provider in the finance sector, having been the first multinational advisory firm to aggressively create and promote fintech.

Nigel began his career with Liberty Life as one of over 1,000 financial advisers in the UK, rising through the ranks to become a senior manager. After that, he was headhunted by Royal Life, where he led a successful team of managers for several years in the UK before going into the international market. He shares, “My dislike of losing saw me remain top manager for 37 consecutive months.”

deVere Group

The deVere Group is a game-changer in the industry. There isn’t another company like it on the market. To secure the greatest goods for its consumers, the organisation collaborates with the top institutions. Nigel asserts, “Our global presence is immense; you’ll find us on every continent.” He goes on to say that the team’s tenacity is unrivalled, having been attacked several times by competitors, but that this just strengthens the business, which has kept its leadership position for over two decades. In the digital era that we currently live in, the focus is now on achieving a new degree of perfection.

The CEO

Nigel’s responsibility as CEO is to keep deVere on the cutting edge of innovation and the fintech revolution. He is also enthusiastic about assisting investors in achieving profit with a purpose by investing in firms that prioritise carbon reduction, employee and consumer rights, board diversity, corporate transparency, and stakeholder responsibility.

In terms of leadership, it’s critical that team members feel appreciated, encouraged, and heard. Therefore, assisting, talking with, and supporting the people in the organisation is critical to developing amazing ideas.

Every day is a learning day for Nigel. He has never gone a day without learning something new. It doesn’t matter if it’s about the company, himself, or others. One of the most important lessons he’s learned about business, in his opinion, is how to keep the company’s 100 separate organisations throughout the world progressing and moving ahead. He states: “We’ll continue to grow our suite of innovative wealth tech products and services that are frequently first-of-their-kind.” He goes on to say that no other company comes close to deVere in terms of fintech development, innovation, and execution-and it’s only getting started. Fintech advancements are occurring at a breakneck pace, and they have already profoundly changed the financial industry, and deVere is merely scraping the surface.

Motivation to become an Entrepreneur

Nigel has disliked working under poor, weak, or uninspired management since the beginning of his professional career, so he decided to start his own company 20 years ago. “To be honest, if I had been effectively managed, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” he admits. People who loved working with Nigel immediately formed the firm. He established operations in various countries within a few months, with the goal of becoming the world’s greatest financial advisory firm. In whatever he and his team accomplish, their objective is to be the best.

Living a Passionate and Joyful Life

Nigel claims that he is the same person inside and outside of work. He has never had a problem striking a work-life balance since he enjoys what he does. “Work is my life and vice versa,” he adds. He goes on to say that when individuals don’t actually care about, believe in, and devote themselves to what they do for a job, this becomes a problem. Nigel’s passion is Formula One, and he attends as many races as he can. He is also a diehard Chelsea supporter who attends every game. Nigel’s favourite locations to visit are wherever he is going next, and he is really delighted to visit each one.

24/7 Global Services

“The primary goals are to offer a global, 24/7 service for our clients, wherever they are in the world, with all nationalities,” says Nigel. He believes that deVere can do so because of its global presence, strength, and resources, which feed into having the industry’s best advisers, offering the broadest range of services – including a suite of fintech apps, market-leading low-cost financial solutions, innovative investments with specialist fund managers, insurance, property, tax consultancy, mortgages, and FX, among others – and world-class governance and compliance procedures.

All of these elements provide deVere clients with the assurance that they are on track to meet their long-term financial goals.

Improving Lives is a True Success

Nigel’s success comes from actually making a difference in the lives of his customers and their families by assisting them in achieving their financial objectives. deVere’s primary goal is to achieve this. It strives to develop successful long-term relationships with its clients, thus the staff work hard to stay current on technical issues as well as global financial markets and economic trends in order to provide clear, effective guidance. “Staying ahead of the curve in our sector is critical,” he says, “which is why we’re continuously bringing new fintech solutions to market.”

Furthermore, Nigel defines success as assisting colleagues in realising their full potential. This creates a strong, linked organisation, allowing each team member to be the best they can be and completely realise their potential.

A Note for Aspiring Finance Leaders

Nigel supports every member of the deVere team to attain their maximum potential, and the company’s management believes in ongoing professional growth for everyone, regardless of function or job.

Personal leadership is the first step in motivating others, and Nigel seeks to lead from the front with a frank, honest, and hardworking attitude. To succeed as a financial leader, he advises young leaders to never stop working to attain their goals and desires and to constantly keep the highest expectations. He says, “Never let negativity or criticism get in your way. Good communication is paramount. Stay focused and never stop learning and boosting your knowledge and skills.” He further adds, this will make the most of your potential and help you to stay on top of your game.

Leader’s View

• What have you failed at and how do you overcome challenges?

One of the principal challenges I faced was when I started out in the finance industry. I was a young man and found myself up against older, more experienced people. Nevertheless, I kept my head down, worked hard and gained as much knowledge and as many skills as I could to become the most successful manager in the company I was working for.

Ever since, one of the main challenges has been to stay in pole position. Along with hard work, dedication, and expertise, the best way to stay in the number one spot is to constantly adapt and evolve. This market is incredibly competitive. Client expectations and regulatory requirements are changing all the time, so in order to stay in front, you have to constantly improve and look at new ways of doing things.

In regard to regulators and inevitable adverse publicity, all financial companies do, at times, get challenged. This is the case not just in finance, but in all industries. The larger the company, the more successful and high-profile it is, the more scrutiny it will undoubtedly receive.

However, I believe the regulators are doing their job, which is something we should champion. They are there to protect clients and ensure the industry upholds its standards, which is something we, as a major stakeholder in the industry, welcome. It makes us and the wider sector more robust.

• Why are you passionate about what you do?

I’m passionate about what I do because I love what I do. It’s that simple. The saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” couldn’t be more appropriate!

• What sort of characteristics in employees contribute to success?

Our independent financial advisers have a reputation for excellence, which is a direct result not only of the company’s desire to employ the best, but to promote from within. For this, the Group truly “puts its money where its mouth is” by providing comprehensive internal mentoring and training systems, plus continual professional development programmes, that have become the envy of the international financial advisory industry.

We work in a people-based business. Clients have to trust and have a good relationship with their adviser. Our advisers often have to help clients make tough decisions, so a good relationship is key.

Appropriately qualified, flexible, dedicated, committed and client-focused, everything that deVere, its IFAs and back office staff do, is for the benefit of their clients. This approach to providing the most individually tailored financial solutions continues to set deVere apart.

• What is the best way to build a great team?

Helping, encouraging, communicating, and supporting the people within the organisation is key to building a strong team. Good communication is absolutely essential. Another crucial factor is never letting negativity creep in. Always stay positive. Stay focused and always keep learning to stay on top of your game.

I’ve always been a very hands-on leader. I’m always speaking to everyone at all levels within the company, but I never micro-manage. I aim to motivate and inspire, set out the path ahead, and although I lead from the front, I work alongside the teams to achieve the company’s goals.

• What does performance culture mean to you?

Having a high-performance culture is super important, I believe, to any organisation. Being professional, adaptable, maintaining a high energy and growth mindset and, of course, always putting the client first.

Strong leadership is fundamental in order to achieve this. Employee empowerment is also key to ensure every member of the team is equipped with the required knowledge and skills to be the best they can be.

Of course, maintaining a high-performance culture means having to adapt to competition, new technologies, and evolving client behaviour. The best results are achieved when strategies, practices, and job descriptions can be adapted to such changes. Investing in people is one of the main factors of a high-performance culture.

Website: https://www.devere-group.com/