Gerrie is Askaig Newington's Operations Manager, and has been with us since the day we launched, having worked with our Principal Financial Planner since 2010.
​
Gerrie's role is to oversee the smooth running of the business, which includes the management of our brilliant support team.
​
With many years of experience in financial services, Gerrie has a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and is an excellent source of information for the team.
Qualifications
Gerrie has the following qualifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute:
-
Diploma in Financial Planning
-
Certificate in Mortgage Advice
Gerrie's Q&A
How did you get started in financial planning?
​
I initially started working as an estate agent in 1996, and the company that I was working for happened to have a mortgage department within the business. I was offered the opportunity to switch to the mortgage department, and I immediately found the work far more challenging and interesting.
After a period of time, the brother of one of the firm's partners decided to set up a financial planning practice, so I changed roles again....and the rest is history!
What does a typical day look like?
​
My days are an interesting mix of a lot of different things. As well as managing the administration team I spend time taking care of compliance, and liaising with clients and providers.
​
A large part of my day is creating financial plans for clients , which I have to say I find the most satisfying part of my role.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
​
The start and the end!
​
For example, it’s great when a client first tells us about their plans to buy a new home. Being able to support the client through the mortgage application, all the way to completion is extremely rewarding. It's fabulous to see the end result, and hear that they are settled in their new home.
​
Similarly, when a we engage with a new client who aspires to retire in five years, but has no idea how to do it, I really enjoy analysing their situation and producing a detailed strategy to ensure they meet their goals.
​
The relief and focus people show once they have a road to follow to make their aspirations happen is very rewarding.
What are the biggest challenges?
​
There are lots of challenges in my role, but I think the most frustrating is part is dealing with insurance companies and investment providers.
It's extremely important that we obtain information about our client's policies in a timely manner, and unfortunately this can often be frustratingly slow.
Operations Manager
What do you do outside of work?
​
I have a three year old doberman, who takes up much of my time outside of work! I've also recently moved to the South Coast, and I really enjoy cold water swimming in the sea - in all weathers!
If you weren't a financial planner, what would you be?
​
I would love to have been a detective! The thought of looking at things in detail, and thinking things through logically is really appealing. Although that sounds surprisingly like financial planning!