Meet Paul
Paul since starting his financial career working as an adviser for L&G in the eighties, has founded a variety of businesses centered around controlling and optimising all aspects of the financial advice value chain.
He founded Lifetime Connect, to bring his pioneering vision for creating a joined-up advice process across mortgages, protection and wealth management to fruition. Paul has built on this through also founding 360 Dot Net, ensuring this process is underpinned via one (multiple award winning) technology platform.
In his spare time Paul is passionate about cycling, rugby, and his beloved Arsenal football club.
Meet Enza
Enza is a Chartered Accountant (and member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation) with over thirty years’ experience in the profession, including twenty years in public practice.
Enza brings a vast array of experience to her role as Finance Director of Lifetime Connect and boasts a vast knowledge of the accountancy and taxation sector, having worked with a variety of businesses. Her penchant for attention to detail, ensures firms’ payment services are handled accurately and promptly.
Outside of work, Enza is a keen runner, gardener, and avid baker. She is also a seasoned fundraiser for her two favourite charities, MS Society and Teens Unite.
Director of Operations & Technology
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Meet David
David has over twenty years of experience working within the financial services sector (including roles with intermediaries and lenders) successfully leading and implementing major FCA regulatory change and digital/IT transformation projects. This includes implementing CRMs, website building and cyber security upgrades. He is also a member of the 360 Dot Net Board.
As the Director of Operations and Technology, David plays an active role in ensuring firms consistently produce ‘good outcomes’ for their clients and have access to market-leading technology solutions.
Away from the office, David’s hobbies include designing and completing DIY projects around the house and Lego projects in his spare time.
Meet Dom
Dom brings a wealth of experience into the Managing Director role from over two decades working within the property and financial services sectors. He has built a strong reputation for developing highly productive and engaged teams and plays an active role in shaping all aspects of the Lifetime Connect proposition and culture.
He has won Best Business Leader twice at the British Mortgage Awards, is a board member of AMI and 360 Dot Net and also works as a trustee for Making the Leap, a leading Social Mobility charity.
In his spare time, he likes to stay fit through cycling, running and HIT. He also actively takes time to mentor young people.
Head of Strategic Partnerships
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Meet Andrew
Andrew has over thirty-five years of experience working within financial services. These include roles within estate agency; Royal Insurance as a mortgage adviser and sales manager; and for the last twenty-three years owning and running his own successful mortgage, protection and financial planning business.
In his role as Head of Mortgages and Protection, Andrew still gets a genuine buzz from seeing advisers reach their potential and he actively uses his extensive knowledge to support both advisers and business principals to operate at their best.
In his spare time, Andrew likes to watch live sport and music and is also known for his culinary skills in the kitchen.
Lifetime Assure
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Meet Liann
I joined Lifetime in 2000 as an administrator, I become a Protection specialist in 2006 with Lifetime Assure being born shortly afterwards. I then took on a dual role within the business as a protection specialist and sales manager. I share my passion, knowledge and expertise equally with clients and advisers, both new and existing. I'm a key supporter of the culture of collaboration & I epitomise the Lifetime philosophy.
Our belief is that all financial planning should be built upon a solid foundation of protection. Failure to have adequate protection in place can undermine the very best financial plans. Death, serious illness, accident, sickness and unemployment can mean that debts, such as mortgages remain unpaid and savings eroded. Our recommendation will be designed so that should the unexpected happen, it will have the minimum effect on you or your family’s lifestyle. In an ever more complex marketplace, our experienced advisors are trained to assess your individual circumstances, identify the risk to your finances and recommend and arrange the most appropriate protection. Protection is not simply limited to individuals, couples or families. Life events such as those listed above can have similar effects on those running and owning businesses.
Recognising your preferred learning style will help you choose the most effective way to receive learning and development. Within the support library and available events, Lifetime Connect Learning & Development aims to include a variety of learning material and links from reading and watching to exercises and practical application.
It will be no surprise to hear that we may favour different ways of learning. This is deeper than working out if you personally prefer to learn by watching something compared to reading about it. We can determine our individual preferences by considering how you approach a task, i.e., do you prefer to learn by watching or rolling up your sleeves and doing it straight away. Then by adding in what your emotional response is in relation to the task i.e., how do you think and feel about it, we can identify a preferred learning style.
There are four main learning styles:
Activist – these people learn best by doing. They like to get their hands dirty and are enthusiastic about being thrown in at the deep end and trying new things. Activities that will help an Activist include working with others, brainstorming, group discussions, roleplay, puzzles and hands-on problem-solving.
Theorist - are people who learn best by understanding the theory behind why something is the way it is. They like models, concepts, and facts to be able to learn effectively. They enjoy analysing and assimilating information to form their own theories and they value logic and rational thinking. Activities that will help a Theorist include having a theory or logical model behind everything that they learn, being able to ask questions and seeing the purpose behind everything they learn.
Reflector – These people learn best when they can observe others and think about what they have just observed. They avoid jumping straight in and prefer to watch first. They like to collect data from many sources and perspectives, then think about it thoroughly before reaching any conclusion. They are cautious and like to consider all the angles before committing to action.
Activities that will help a Reflector include being given time to think before they have to take action and being given time to investigate before they have to take action.
Pragmatist – These people prefer to apply knowledge and theories in a practical and literal sense and to the world around them. They learn by testing and experimenting ideas and solving problems. They prefer not to take part in discussions about how theories work. Instead, they like to put things into action. Pragmatists respond well to learning that can be directly and easily applied to the world around them. They welcome the opportunity to experiment and apply what they have learned in a practical way. Activities that will help a Pragmatist include copying or building on a practical example, getting feedback on how they are doing from an expert, seeing a connection between what they are learning and its use in practice, understanding that the learning is practically superior to their current way of doing things.
The authors of this process are Honey and Mumford and they have designed a learning styles questionnaire. If you would like more information on this or would like to complete the questionnaire, please let us know by emailing [email protected]
Why is knowing about the learning cycle of use to yourself and us in Learning & Development?
Sometimes, we need to challenge the already learned theories and go back to the beginning. Some of our sessions will be aimed at the theory and observation stage allowing new “rules” to be formed. This gives meaning to the term “Open Mind”.
An American educational theorist called David Kolb, spearheaded, and focused on experimental learning. His theory, known as the learning cycle, has been used by many institutions for over 40 years.
The learning cycle basically involves four stages, namely: concrete learning, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Effective learning can be seen when the learner progresses through the cycle.
This may sound very technical but can easily be applied to any learning; from toddlers to adults. For example, a young child has been told not to touch the clothes iron. But the child is aware that others touch the iron, and it looks really exciting when it glides over the board – just like a power boat. When the grown up isn’t looking, the child touches the shiny iron. It is very hot, and the child is almost scorched. Therefore, the experience is that the iron burns if you touch it (stage 1). Over the next few days, the child observes his parents touching the iron and notices that they do not find it too hot. (stage 2). Watching carefully, the child sees that the parents are not touching the shiny plate but the sticky up handle. The child forms some “rules” and observes more to see if they work. The child’s rules are that if only the handle is touched, and the plate is never touched, the user doesn’t get hurt. And the iron is switched off when it isn’t in use etc. (stage 3). Finally, the child decides to test these rules. Even though the iron has just been used and steam can be seen, the child touches the iron handle. The child doesn’t feel any heat or scorching and therefore trusts the rules that has been previously formed. (stage 4).
Meet Tony
Tony is from a learning and development background within the financial services sector and has a number of years’ experience of providing Mortgage & Protection advice. He is passionate about supporting others in delivering positive customer outcomes to their customers. Tony’s previous experience has been gained working with leading Building Societies as a people manager and as a training & competency specialist where he was responsible for the onboarding and sign off journey of new mortgage and protection advisers.
Tony lives in North Essex with his wife Susan and their dog Midas. He has two children, and he enjoys long country walks with his dog and family. In Tony’s early career he was a travel agency manager and still has the travel bug. He loves planning holidays and helping his friends and family find the best deals and his favourite holiday destination is Turkey. His dream would be to own a villa on the Turkish Riviera. Tony is a West Ham United supporter and loves a good bottle of Red Wine.
Learning & Development Manager,
Wealth & Protection
[email protected]
Meet Graham
Graham has approximately 22 years’ experience as an adviser, AR principle and has had several roles in training and development focussed on case quality outcome and supporting new pre-CAS advisers. This is an area that gives him the most satisfaction as it allows him to work closely with them on their journey.
Having previously worked as a field coach for Quilter Financial Planning it allows him to support and articulate the expectations for new advisers.
Graham lives in Benfleet with his wife, 2 grown up kids and dog and he enjoys spending time in the country & on the south coast. He enjoys most sports although he says that he is more of a spectator these days.
Head of Learning & Development
[email protected]
Meet Nicky
Nicky has worked in financial services for over twenty years including roles as a mortgage and protection adviser within estate agency teams; a wealth adviser for an IFA; and in various leadership roles at Legal & General.
As the Head of Learning and Development, Nicky is able to combine her passion for developing people to reach their goals with her deep knowledge of the advice process. Nicky plays an active role in not only running the Learning and Development team but also delivering training programmes herself directly.
Away from the office, Nicky loves caring for her horses.