David – Manager of Adviser Support Services

Joined Transact February 2006

Why did you join Transact?

I joined Transact after starting my career with a fund supermarket in my home town. Transact was the obvious choice for me because I had a few friends who worked there and they all spoke highly of the company. Transact is London based and they offer a very comprehensive wrap proposition, so there was a great deal for me to learn and extend my knowledge base.

Talk us through your career at Transact so far.

My first year at Transact was in the role of Client Service Manager (CSM), which was a massive learning curve and I really enjoyed being part of the ‘engine room’ of Transact.

An opportunity arose to help set up a training program for new employees of Transact. I gratefully accepted this challenge and thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Transact Training team.

A few months later, the position of Operations Project Leader was advertised and I was successful in my application, spending eighteen months in this role, all the while knowing that I wanted to get back into a client facing role at some point.

To my surprise, an additional Adviser Support Manager (ASM) was required in the field to cater for our ever expanding adviser base. I worked as an ASM for a number of years and as the ASM team grew, I was promoted to ASM Team Leader. In October 2016, I took on a new challenge working from head office, developing and implementing more “immediate-needs” adviser support.

What does your role involve on a day-to-day basis?

My role involves the following:

• Managing a team of field-based Adviser Support Managers.
• Managing a team of office-based Sales Support Specialists.
• Maximising sales opportunities for the business.
• Rolling out a Co-browse service to advisers and their staff.
• Being the Adviser Support Manager for London-based financial advisers.
• Testing and implementation of new software into the business.

What do you enjoy about working at Transact?

Everyone is treated like an adult and the Sales Team are not paid on a commission basis, which is a refreshing and sensible approach to business.

Senior management are visible throughout the business and operate an open door policy which is encouraging.

Lastly, Transact is an agile business. We can change and respond to meet the demands of our customers as and when required without coming up against layers and layers of bureaucracy.

How would you describe the culture at Transact?

The culture is grown up, forward thinking and client centric to its core. All the efforts of the business are focused on providing an excellent service and an excellent platform to the financial adviser market and its clients.

What advice would you give someone joining Transact?

Work hard. Take ownership and responsibility of tasks. Challenge decisions when appropriate, and always consider the adviser and client when undertaking any activity.