People who fulfil roles like Nyree’s are the unsung heroes of any financial services business.
In these days of stringent financial regulation, they make sure businesses like ours are doing everything they should be, in the ways that are expected of them.
Ultimately, they are the ‘critical friends’ who ensure that customers’ best interests are always served, whilst simultaneously protecting the business from potential issues, providing solid foundations from which to grow.
And we think Nyree, our Compliance Director here at Lairgate Financial, is that bit extra special. Because she doesn’t believe in just ticking a box so that everything looks compliant. She really believes in the true spirit of the regulation, and that it is the firm’s responsibility to implement the rules in a way that is appropriate for it and its clients. Nyree passionately believes that the way a business is run reflects its culture, and is fully behind the Financial Conduct Authority’s Culture drive – which is focused on doing the right thing even when no one is looking.
After all, it’s not just about making sure the firm is not a risk to the industry, although Nyree does do that of course. Her philosophy is that if companies are truly committed to their customers, as we are, they will ‘walk the walk’ and want to do the right thing by them in how it operates, including everything from compliance to risk management and overall governance.
Nyree has worked in senior, compliance-related roles for over a decade-and-a-half, specialising in the life and pensions industries. Not only does she hold specialist compliance knowledge and experience, but she is also a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and so has an in-depth knowledge of what is required to be a Chartered Financial Adviser. In addition to this, during her time in the industry, she has achieved some real standout qualifications and accreditations. She is qualified to the highest level awarded by the Pension Management Institute (PMI), and holds Certificates in Operational Risk and Digital Risk Management, together with the International Certificate in Financial Services Risk Management from the Institute of Risk Management (IRM).
So, all of this means Lairgate customers can rest assured you’re in safe hands, and not least because Nyree is constantly pushing us to take an over-the-horizon view, making changes to the way we behave as a business before we are officially asked to.
She explained: “The services we offer are so vitally important to people’s lives, we have to get it right and go over and above to look after their interests. After all, there is a real need for financial advice given in a way that makes sense, and doesn’t confuse people with industry jargon.
“Pointing people in the right direction when it comes to things like pensions, investments and inheritance planning can make the difference between them enjoying the future they imagine, and their loved ones being taken care of, or not.
“My job is about always looking at the way we do things things from a customer perspective, together with my colleagues, to ensure we are always striving to offer the best service experience around.
In addition to her role at Lairgate Financial, Nyree has her own company, called Compliance Genie, which focuses on making compliance expertise available to small and medium-sized businesses, with a focus on data protection. Such support is in more demand than ever, because the data protection regulations applies to all businesses that are using personal information – from the local hairdresser, to the online fitness coach, right up to national call centres. So many of the smaller firms do not fully understand the regulations around using personal information, and believe the risk to them is low. However, this just isn’t the case, there are rules and businesses are expected to be able to follow them no matter how small they are. The Compliance Genie gives all businesses access to this specialist knowledge, to ensure their businesses are adequately protected against potential fines and complaints.
Thirst for knowledge
It’s not only in Nyree’s professional life that she is constantly aiming to learn more and improve. The mum-of two’s way of relaxing is to make the most of the plethora of resources now available via the internet, to expand her mind.
“I’ve always pushed myself to achieve the best qualifications I could in my career and I feel that now I’m on a real personal learning journey. Having realised that it doesn’t matter how academically qualified I am, intelligence is about more than that, I have a responsibility to use it to help other people.”
“In my view, we’re never too old to learn more and expand our minds, and we now have the ability to tap into more insights than ever before – not to take advantage of that would be a waste.
“I’m passionate about sharing our knowledge to educate the next generation as well, so that they achieve their full potential, which will be far beyond what we were taught to believe is possible” she continued.
“Given the job I do, I believe strongly in passing on knowledge about finances and money, in particular – because my generation grew up in a world where money wasn’t talked about and everyone, can benefit from so much if they understand money, how it works and how to make the most of it.
“It’s the next generation that are growing up now who will have the power to change our world, but we can be a part of this and start the education process now.”
And
when she’s not busy working?
“My way of relaxing, when not working, is reading or listening to audio books – hopefully seeing me learning, even though I no longer have to, will also inspire my children to do the same.”
What books, from her reading list, would Nyree particularly recommend at the moment?
- Sapiens, A Brief History Of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari
- Why We Sleep: The New Science Of Sleep And Dreams, by Matthew Walker
- The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek
- The Four A
agreements: Practical Guide To Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz - Natives: Race And Class In The Ruins of Empire, Akala
- Not a life Coach: Are You Ready To Change Your Life?, by James Smith
If you would like to see how our friendly Lairgate Financial team could help you, email us or call (01482) 860700.