Foster Denovo Talks

Foster Denovo ltd

Foster Denovo Talks wealth, work and wellbeing Foster Denovo Talks is the new podcast from Foster Denovo that champions work, wealth and wellbeing. Designed as a versatile, multi-series platform, FD Talks brings together insightful conversations tailored for financial advisers, HR professionals, business leaders, and clients.Foster Denovo Talks wealth and work is Foster Denovo’s dedicated podcast series that delves into private wealth management and talent acquisition. Hosted by Helena Bogdanovski, Director of Private Wealth, each episode features our experienced hosts in candid conversation with key company figures, discussing adviser recruitment, career progression and the strategic approaches that underpin success in private wealth. Presented in a warm, personable tone with clear, jargon‐free language, Foster Denovo Talks reflects our deep industry expertise while keeping the dialogue straightforward and engaging. 

  1. Raymond Pirrie on Selling an Advice Firm, Preparing for Change and Life After an Acquisition

    5D AGO

    Raymond Pirrie on Selling an Advice Firm, Preparing for Change and Life After an Acquisition

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, Helena is joined by Raymond Pirrie, founder of Rosemount Asset Management and now part of Foster Denovo, who shares an honest and practical account of what it really takes to prepare a business for sale.  Raymond talks through his journey from founding Rosemount in 2010, to spending several years preparing the firm for acquisition, to becoming part of Foster Denovo. He shares the lessons he learned along the way, the mistakes others should avoid and why culture, values and people matter just as much as numbers.  This episode is essential listening for advisers and firm owners who are thinking about selling their business, whether that decision is months or years away.  🎧 In this episode:  • Founding Rosemount Asset Management  • Why Raymond started thinking about selling years in advance  • Preparing a firm properly for sale  • The realities of due diligence for small firms  • Choosing the right buyer and avoiding red flags  • Independent versus restricted advice  • What life looks like after an acquisition  • Advice for firm owners considering their next step

    22 min
  2. Liberty Elder-Davis on Building a Career in Advice, Resilience and Redefining Success in Financial Services

    FEB 4

    Liberty Elder-Davis on Building a Career in Advice, Resilience and Redefining Success in Financial Services

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, Helena is joined by Liberty Elder-Davis, who shares her powerful and honest journey through financial services, from starting her career overseas to rebuilding her life and career in the UK.  Liberty talks about beginning her career in an IFA firm in Spain, where a planned gap year turned into a decade working in offshore advice. She opens up about being told she was too young, female and inexperienced to succeed, how becoming a mother shaped her perspective, and why stepping away from advising was not a failure but a strategic reset.  Now based in the UK, Liberty reflects on what sustainable success really looks like, the importance of support and flexibility, and why the industry must evolve if it wants to attract and retain more women.  🎧 In this episode:  • Liberty’s early career and move to Spain  • How a gap year became a ten year career in offshore advice  • Being told she was too young and female to succeed  • Becoming a qualified adviser while working full time and raising a child  • Building a client bank from scratch as a self-employed adviser  • Burnout, identity and the decision to step back  • Why returning to the UK changed everything  • Finding a role that fits life, not the other way around  • Why the financial services industry must change for women

    23 min
  3. Hayley Mills on Developing People, Client Experience and How AI Is Transforming Adviser Support

    JAN 21

    Hayley Mills on Developing People, Client Experience and How AI Is Transforming Adviser Support

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we meet Hayley Mills, Client Experience Team Leader, who joined the business just under 2 years ago and has already become a central part of adviser support, staff development and innovation across the firm.  Hayley shares her career story, from starting work at fourteen, to moving through financial services, to discovering her love of developing people. She talks about her passion for staff progression, her role in acquisitions and the huge impact of Evie, the AI note taker she has helped train and implement across the business.  Hayley explains how automation is freeing advisers to focus fully on clients, how client feedback is improving the way we work and why she finds helping people thrive the most rewarding part of her role.  🎧 In this episode:  • Hayley’s early career and route into financial services  • How she discovered her passion for people and progression  • The move into IFA support, client relationships and paraplanning  • Why culture and belonging drew her to Foster Denovo  • Her role in acquisitions and adviser support  • How Evie, the AI note taker, is transforming adviser efficiency   • How structured client feedback is helping the business improve and grow   • Why staff development and team culture matter so deeply to her

    23 min
  4. Paul Hurley on Regulation, Client Outcomes and the Evolving Role of Compliance in Wealth Management

    JAN 7

    Paul Hurley on Regulation, Client Outcomes and the Evolving Role of Compliance in Wealth Management

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we speak with Paul Hurley, Director of Compliance at Foster Denovo. Paul’s career spans an extraordinary journey: thirteen years in the military, over a decade as a financial adviser and a further two decades shaping the compliance function that underpins the business today.  Paul talks candidly about how he unexpectedly moved into compliance, how the landscape has changed from rule-based regulation to today’s outcome-based model, and why vulnerability and consumer protection are now central to every decision advisers make.  He also explains why small firms struggle with regulatory change, the realities of acquisitions from a compliance perspective and what the future may hold for the industry, from crypto products to greater scrutiny of ongoing reviews.  🎧 In this episode:  • Paul’s journey from military service to financial services  • Why he took a pay cut to move into compliance  • How regulation evolved from rigid rule books to principle based, outcome driven supervision  • Why consumer duty marks the biggest shift in a decade  • What vulnerability really means and why it affects far more clients than advisers often think   • How acquisitions challenge smaller firms’ regulatory processes  • Why the government is pushing the FCA to focus on growth in the coming years   • Paul’s view on what’s next for regulation, including crypto

    19 min
  5. Matthew Mitten on 20 Years of Secondsight: Growth, Values and the Future of Employee Benefits

    12/03/2025

    Matthew Mitten on 20 Years of Secondsight: Growth, Values and the Future of Employee Benefits

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we sit down with Matthew Mitten, Director of Secondsight, the employee benefits division of Foster Denovo. With nearly thirty years in financial services, Matthew shares the journey from his early days chasing a sales job in London to building one of the most respected employee benefits teams in the industry.  Matthew talks openly about the origins of Secondsight, the values that have held the business together over two decades, the challenges of practice buyouts and how the most recent acquisition has shaped a stronger, more aligned future across corporate benefits and private wealth.  He also lifts the lid on what’s coming next: integration across advice propositions, the future of health and protection and why relationships will always cut through in a competitive market.  🎧 In this episode:  • Matthew’s route into financial services  • The moment he realised corporate advice could genuinely change people’s lives   • The creation and evolution of Secondsight  • How shared values became the foundation for growth and acquisition integration   • What practice buyouts really felt like  • Supporting teams through change  • Why lateral integration across advice is creating opportunity for clients and colleagues alike   • What excites Matthew most about the future of health, protection and employee benefits

    19 min
  6. Leigh Cook on Life After Acquisition: Integration, Support and Finding New Career Path

    11/19/2025

    Leigh Cook on Life After Acquisition: Integration, Support and Finding New Career Path

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we meet Leigh Cook, Partnership Practice Manager in Newcastle, who brings more than thirty years of experience acquired during her time at Wade Financial  Leigh takes us through her career journey, from working in a small attic office to becoming the person who helped hold the Wade Financial acquisition together. She talks about the intense due diligence process, the challenges of outdated systems, and how she balanced running the office while preparing it for sale.  Now, eighteen months after joining Foster Denovo, Leigh shares how her role has transformed. She talks about the support she now has, the career paths her team can finally see, and how the culture shift has changed day to day life for the better.  🎧 In this episode:  • What it feels like to go through an acquisition from the inside  • The pressure and responsibility of managing due diligence  • The shift from small firm life to a national organisation  • How her role has changed since joining Foster Denovo  • What integration really looks like for teams and clients

    12 min
  7. Daniel Thomas on Growth, Opportunity and Finding a Career Path at Foster Denovo

    11/05/2025

    Daniel Thomas on Growth, Opportunity and Finding a Career Path at Foster Denovo

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we meet Daniel Thomas, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Project Lead at Foster Denovo.  Daniel joined the business in 2021 as a PA, unsure of where his career was heading. Fast forward three years, and he’s now a central figure in our mergers and acquisitions team, supporting every stage of the firm’s growth journey.  He shares how his role evolved from admin support to project leadership, why he thrives on being at the centre of complex projects, and how Foster Denovo’s culture helped him build a role that truly fits his strengths.  🎧 In this episode:  How Daniel moved from PA to Project Lead in just a few years The importance of curiosity, organisation and continuous learning What it’s really like working in the M&A team Why you don’t need a finance background to succeed at Foster Denovo

    16 min
  8. Jamie Smith on Career Growth: From Self-Employed Adviser to Senior Partner at Foster Denovo

    10/22/2025

    Jamie Smith on Career Growth: From Self-Employed Adviser to Senior Partner at Foster Denovo

    In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, we speak with Jamie Smith, Senior Partner at Foster Denovo.  Jamie shares his journey from starting out as a self-employed adviser to becoming an employed Senior Partner, a less common route in financial advice.  He talks about why he made the move, how the employed model has supported his growth, and why trust and relationships are still at the heart of what he does every day.  🎧 In this episode:  What it is really like moving from self-employed to employed adviser How Foster Denovo supports advisers to grow and succeed Why advice is built on people, not products

    24 min
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About

Foster Denovo Talks wealth, work and wellbeing Foster Denovo Talks is the new podcast from Foster Denovo that champions work, wealth and wellbeing. Designed as a versatile, multi-series platform, FD Talks brings together insightful conversations tailored for financial advisers, HR professionals, business leaders, and clients.Foster Denovo Talks wealth and work is Foster Denovo’s dedicated podcast series that delves into private wealth management and talent acquisition. Hosted by Helena Bogdanovski, Director of Private Wealth, each episode features our experienced hosts in candid conversation with key company figures, discussing adviser recruitment, career progression and the strategic approaches that underpin success in private wealth. Presented in a warm, personable tone with clear, jargon‐free language, Foster Denovo Talks reflects our deep industry expertise while keeping the dialogue straightforward and engaging. 

Information

  • Creator
    Foster Denovo ltd
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foster Denovo Talks
  • Show Website
    Foster Denovo Talks