We spoke to Administrator Gail te Braake about starting her financial career overseas, the variety within her job and the importance of empathy.

What is your background? 

I grew up in Zimbabwe. I started my working life in banking and spent some time in legal services, the agricultural industry, finally settling into import logistics before moving to the UK in 2003.

In the UK, I joined Lloyds TSB Private Banking, where I worked for 10 years providing administrative support for both investments and general banking. When the Worcester office closed, I joined a small Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) firm, who were then taken over by Suckling Waddington & Partners (SWP).

How did you get into Financial Services? 

I have always enjoyed working with figures and love the variety of tasks within financial services sector.

You have to have a flexible work style, as priorities can change at a moment’s notice.

What is your area of expertise?

My job is pretty wide-ranging, as I provide overall administrative support to the financial advisers. For example, I could be gathering information on clients’ existing investments, submitting complex investments to providers and updating clients’ data on both our firm’s systems and those of various investment platforms – as well as writing letters on behalf of advisers. Having good computer skills is a definite benefit in this role!

I can be a client’s first point of contact so good customer service skills are a must, as is the ability to be empathetic and supportive in difficult situations, such as the loss of a loved one.

What do you enjoy about working at SWP?

We’re a team of four advisers and four administrators, and I enjoy being part of a small team

We support each other and share the workload. There’s always help and guidance when you need it.

I really like the variety of the role. You need to be knowledgeable across numerous financial areas, from wills and will writing to monthly pension contributions, which I find quite interesting.

What tips would you give to clients for making administration of their financial affairs easier to manage?

Keeping a record of what you have – not just for your IFA but in the event of any circumstances changing, it makes it easier for family to find what they need. Filing systems and spreadsheets are useful tools for keeping track of your investments and bank accounts, including nest eggs or rainy-day funds.

For more information on how SWP can help you manage your finances, visit www.sucklingwaddington.co.uk