Testimonials

It's always a pleasure to work with an expert . . . a master at what they do - and Simon is such a person in our profession. We had the benefit of working with 'the guru' in the very early and formative years of The Chester Partnership and his guidance & insight provided a much needed steadying hand as we looked to create a financial planning firm that might one day be recognised as being 'a little bit special'. A few years on (and a couple of awards along the way) we were ready to push on again and really take advantage of the opportunities presented by the RDR and it was Simon we again turned to. What we thought was going to be a gentle transition into the 'new world' has ended up being an almost complete transformation as Simon challenged us to raise our expectations, demand higher standards and define our systems & controls in a way that customers would just know they are indeed dealing with a firm that continues to be 'a little bit special'. We have to thank Simon in no small way for his tenacity, patience & enthusiasm in helping us to shape Chester Partnership.

Steve Riddiough, Managing Director, The Chester Partnership

Simon is a hugely experienced consultant who has helped many advice businesses completely rethink their objectives and approach and transform not only their client proposition but their business performance. At ease in a variety of advice businesses (and a former adviser & manager.himself who understands it from a practical perspective) Simon can quickly home in on those.areas where the biggest results are to be had and not only identify the barriers to success but help to knock them down. An industry thought-leader who's support will be invaluable to any business looking to succeed in the post RDR landscape.

Gary Thomson, Global Head of FATCA Operations at Royal Bank of Scotland.

If you want to work with someone who sits on the fence, and doesn't have a strong opinion based on a solid working knowledge of the FS industry, then Simon isn't your man. If, however you are comfortable with honest, challenging debate that helps you to make informed decisions then you will enjoy working with Simon. He is a confident industry speaker with a passion for transparent pricing models and helping business owners to reap fair reward for their work.

Liz Pemberton, Experienced Consultant, Manager & Facilitator of Capability Development

Firstly, thank you Simon ever so much for providing the final piece to my 'business jigsaw'. Your course was so enlightening. For me in particular within our practise I have charged retainer fees for nearly 6 years - and worked upon hourly rates - and as you pointed out in your presentations was finding hard to justify charging excess over hourly rates. However you have now provided the light!!!!!! The course you ran was most probably the most important aspect of business I have come across in 18 years within the industry. I cannot signify how so valuable & influential your work has been on me.

Adam Young, Managing Director, Dragonfly Planning & Trust Services Limited.

I had the benefit of working closely with Simon Olive in my role at Yorkshire Investment Group. We gained considerable value in helping to identify issues and business practices that improved the way we did business with a focus on profitability. He provided a totally objective overview of our business operations and I believe has a unique in depth knowledge of the financial services industry and the IFA sector. He helped us formulate strategic planning ideas and worked closely with management to identify practical ways to implement the plans and processes required to achieve results.

Hugh Heron, Former Chairman of Yorkshire Investment Group.

We've been working with Simon for about five or six years now and intensely for the last three. We knew we needed to make some changes to what we felt was a successful business, but which could be so much better. The problem was that we had very little concept of how to go about it, or even where to start. Simon's experience and guidance has enabled us to construct our strategic vision for the future, put that into an achievable plan, concentrate on the things which were important, discard those which were not, prioritise our activities and, most importantly, carry them out. As a consequence of working very closely with Simon in the run up to RDR (especially his Business Transition Programme, which was fantastic) we have maintained our initial income level but, more importantly, significantly increased our recurring income, constructed and refined a professional client and investment proposition and considerably 'de-risked' the business. The end result is that it's not only a much more profitable business, but it's also much easier, more pleasurable and less stressful to run.

Paul Harris, Partner, The Oxford Advisory Partnership

The additional understanding we have gained from working with Simon regarding the ultimate goals of our business, our service proposition, process requirements and the pricing structure of the services has given us a much greater momentum and desire to achieve the correct operating model.The expertise and professionalism he brought has been refreshing and provided a strong platform from which we can build. The accuracy, quality and timeliness of delivery have been excellent.

Gary Crossley, Managing Director, Lift Financial.

Simon is a gifted speaker, who is able to communicate complex business concepts in an engaging and pragmatic way to SMEs. He is grounded in IFA experience and always combines theory with excellent case studies to attract his audience to both listen and then act. Simon performs well in both 1:1 small work-shop groups and conference sessions, being a reliable presenter and strong at handling questions & answers. I would not hesitate in recommending Simon to any industry body as a platform speaker or panel participant.

Patrick Gale, former CEO Sesame Group Ltd

What Simon Olive has done is make us question how we operate, confront us with the need to act now, test new ideas and most importantly encourage us through the changes we needed to make. He acted as a catalyst to making changes we knew we should have made a while ago. As a result we are producing enormous results from a previously untapped database, that might not have come about for some months or years.

Chris Kerin, National Sales Director, Buckles.

I have found Simon Olive's guidance to be invaluable when working on a major change project within our organisation. His knowledge of business practice, management processes and detailed insight ofFinancial Services and IFA's has been of immense benefit to us. His perception of our needs is insightful and he seems to understand everyone's issues at all levels of the organisation. This enables him to communicate and put across quite complex issues to all staff.

Diane Purchase, Project & Compliance Director, Parnell Fisher Child.

Not only was the day's seminar on fees the most intelligent and well thought business proposition that I had seen in many years in the business, I went away with a very positive attitude towards the need for change and the effect that those changes would have on our business, income and more importantly relationships with our clients. I would unreservedly recommend Simon as a main speaker at any major Industry conference.

Geoff Tresman, Director PSFM.

I have consulted with Simon Olive on a number of occasions over the years. As my business has steadily grown I have had to make a number of major decisions. These have included developing and improving our business model and proposition, selecting back office systems & platforms and business acquisitions. I have been able to conduct entirely confidential discussions with Simon. He is able to identify the key points and asks those searching and perceptive questions which have enabled me to see the picture more clearly, resulting in a number of 'Eureka' moments. As a result I think our business model and proposition was 'RDR ready' with plenty of time to spare. Simon understands IFA businesses intimately and is fully aware of the problems we face. This is reflected in the constructive and knowledgeable advice he has given. I would wholeheartedly recommend him to any business owner.

John Boyle, MD, Chartwell Financial Management Ltd.

It is so easy for advisers to become bogged down in the present without having a clear view of the future opportunities now that the Retail Distribution Review has changed the industry forever. Simon allowed me to have a glimpse of the potential changes some five years ago and I found even then his forward thinking approach a great pleasure to listen to and read. I have heard Simon speak at MDRT and other conferences and often wished I had a tape recorder to capture every word of wisdom.

Richard Bateman, MD, Bateman Financial Management Ltd & Life Member of MDRT & of the TopTable for 30 years

I was gripped throughout the course, we knew the firm needed to change, but the course made me realize that it needed to change for the good of individuals and staff as well, Never has the time flown so much during a programme, very "very" good. Simon Olive, take a bow son, take a bow!

Business Transition Programme :Mark Lloyd, MJB