Successful leadership in the 21st century is much more difficult than meets the eye. There are many facets that contribute to a leader being successful. Alongside the traditional roles and responsibilities like managing the company operations, ensuring successful completion of all tasks, etc., modern leaders need to have social skills like empathy, the ability to listen to the team and inspire them, etc. Enunciating his views on modern-day leadership, Nigel Green (CEO of deVere Group), says, “In order to thrive in any industry, leaders must take the helm, maintain a clear vision, and have people alongside them moving into the future.”
Nigel is a hands-on leader who has been leveraging his avid experience to drive the company towards success in the competitive marketplace. Nigel followed the footsteps of his father and ventured into the financial industry as an Independent Financial Advisor in the UK. He had a chance to travel to Bermuda on a business trip where he discovered the huge potential for a new kind of financial service for offshore clients.
Soon, he realized that international clients away from their country of origin needed a specialist and more holistic financial service offering that was multifaceted and took in the particular regional and country variations in tax law, legislation, and regulations. As a result, he established deVere Group in 2002. Since its inception, the company has grown exponentially to become one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management, and fintech organizations. Presently it has more than $12 billion in advice from some 100,000 clients in more than 100 countries across the globe.
The team of Mirror Review recently had an opportunity to indulge in a fascinating conversation with Nigel in which he shed light upon his leadership approach as well as the company’s services, team, and future plans. Here are some of the snippets from the insightful conversation.
What are the prominent services offered by deVere Group?
We provide specialist finance advice to clients who are predominantly expatriates and international investors. We have the largest range of financial solutions across the whole market. With central hubs in primary financial and expat destinations, deVere Group’s global reputation for providing its existing and potential clients with an enviable, results-driven service is built on the foundation of delivering world-class, independent financial advice.
Additionally, we are at the forefront of innovation and the fintech revolution which helps us meet the evolving client demands in an ever-more connected world. We are universally viewed as leaders in the fintech space—we believe clients want bespoke advice backed up with innovative technology. We continually strive to develop the next-generation financial technology propositions that meet the needs of our clients. These include deVere Vault, deVere Crypto, deVere Core, deVere Investment, and deVere Catalyst.
What are the factors that distinguish deVere Group from its competitors?
One of deVere’s prominent attributes is our global presence, strength, and resources which feed into having the industry’s top advisers, offering the widest range of services. This includes our suite of fintech apps, market-leading low-cost financial solutions, innovative investments with specialist fund managers, insurance, property, tax consultancy, mortgages, and fx, amongst others—not to mention world-class governance and compliance procedures.
Being at the helm, what are your primary roles and responsibilities?
As the CEO, my job is to ensure that deVere remains at the forefront of innovation and the fintech revolution. The financial services industry has seen drastic technology-led changes in recent years, with fintech reshaping and redefining the way in which all financial services across the board are delivered. To do this, we must constantly strive to provide the next gen fintech offerings for our clients.
I am also incredibly passionate about helping investors achieve profit with a purpose by investing in companies that prioritize reducing carbon, protect employees’ and consumer rights, and promote board diversity, corporate transparency, and stakeholder accountability.
Please walk us through the remarkable achievements throughout your illustrious career.
I am extremely honored to have received numerous industry awards over the years. One particular standout moment was when I was invited to give a keynote address at the DELTA Summit, Malta’s official blockchain and digital event a few years ago. I am also a regular media commentator and analyst for outlets across the world such as BBC, CNBC, Forbes, and the Daily Mail.
According to you, what are the attributes of an ideal leader? Also, please mention the qualities that make you a unique leader.
Encouraging and motivating the staff to do their best and reach and exceed their potential is the sign of a strong leader. A good leader knows how to motivate people. Everyone is different in that some may need to undertake a ‘tougher’ approach while some may react best from a ‘softer’ stance. The best leaders will know exactly how to get the best out of each and every person.
In regard to my leadership style, I have always been very hands-on. I am always speaking to everyone at all levels within the company, but I never micro-manage. I aim to motivate and inspire as well as set out the way forward. Although I lead from the front, I work beside the teams to hit the company’s objectives.
How do you ensure to keep the team constantly motivated and productive?
We encourage all members of the team to achieve their full potential. We have one of the most extensive, envied internal management, graduate and apprenticeship training schemes in the financial sector, designed to enable each staff member to reach and even exceed their potential. We believe in continuous professional development for every single member of the team regardless of their function and role. We are committed to the concept of training and development which is why we invest heavily into ongoing training and graduate and apprenticeship programs.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your business? How did you manage to tackle the challenges brought by the new normal?
When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, we adapted quickly and decisively. We implemented a work from home policy that worked extremely well as we all pulled together as one. We worked via Zoom meetings—even today, a majority of our work is done with video conferencing. We also found that our clients were more willing than ever to have meetings via Zoom. In fact, they seem to prefer it over face-to-face meetings. As a result, we can speak to more clients each day helping them reach their financial objectives, and our productivity has increased considerably.
Where do you see deVere Group in the next five years? Are there any services/solutions we can anticipate from the company?
The financial services industry has witnessed radical changes over the past few years, fueled by technology. Fintech is reshaping and redefining the way in which all financial services across the board are delivered. deVere was the very first international advisory firm to actively develop and promote fintech and remains the biggest and most successful fintech provider in our space.
Not content to rest on our already impressive track record in fintech, we will continue to expand our suite of innovative wealth tech products and services that are first-of-their-kind. To put it in simple words, there is no firm that can come close to deVere in fintech development, innovation, and implementation—and we are just getting started. The advances in fintech are happening at a lightening pace and it has already radically reshaped the financial sector, and we’re only really just scratching the surface.
What is your life like outside of work?
The work-life balance is not an issue as I thoroughly enjoy what I do, so my work is my life and vice versa. The work-life balance becomes a problem for people when they don’t truly have passion, believe in, and are committed to what they do for a living. In regard to my passion, I love F1 and go to as many as I can. I am also a huge Chelsea fan and catch every game possible. My favorite places to travel are anywhere I am going next—I am genuinely excited about moving on to each place.
What message would you like to convey to the aspiring leaders who want to make a mark in their respective fields?
The main advice I can share to achieve success is to never stop striving to reach your goals and ambitions, always maintain high expectations. Never quit, ever. Also, never let negativity or criticism stand in your way. Good communication is paramount. Stay focused and never stop learning and boosting your knowledge and skills. This will make the most of your potential and help you stay on top of your game.
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Read Full Magazine: The 10 Empowering CEO’s To Watch In 2022 (Vol-1)
