Lowes Magazine Issue 120

SPOTLIGHT

CHRIS BROWN PROVIDES TECHNICAL SUPPORT to Lowes Consultant Gershom Chan but financial advice was not on his radar when studying history at university, he says. “It was only when I was talking to the father of a friend who was a financial adviser and who emphasised how rewarding it was to help people achieve their financial goals that I found out about it as a career. That was not how I had envisaged financial services and it piqued my interest,” he says. After graduating, he hand-wrote a letter to Lowes Managing Director Ian Lowes, enclosing his CV and asking about work at the company. “Ian interviewed me intensely for about half an hour but then I was offered a General Assistant job with Lowes.” It was a job tackling anything that needed doing in the building but it gave him a foot in the door and soon after he moved into the Structured Product department. He started studying for exams and after gaining his Diploma in Financial Planning moved into the Technical department in 2016. There he was gathering information, checking facts, and ensuring everything was technically correct and compliant. “I’m a bit of a pedant when it comes to making sure everything is right,” he admits. In 2020 he moved into his current role as dedicated Technical Assistant to Consultant Gershom Chan. On a day-to-day basis Chris works closely with Gershom, undertaking technical analysis, and attending client meetings. From the meeting Chris gathers all relevant information. “I will take it away and find out what other information we might need and then I will help Gershom look at the client’s financial needs and goals and how we can best help achieve them through our recommendations.” Attending client meetings Chris says is the part of the role he most enjoys. “I was really nervous when I went into my first few meetings but then you realise you are meeting everyday people who have everyday concerns and you can help them resolve those concerns through the work that you do. I get to hear first hand what their concerns are and what they are trying to achieve and after doing all the fact finding and analysis there is a really rewarding feeling that you have helped someone. In some ways it becomes quite personal.” Spotlight on Lowes people

If there is a part of the job that rankles, he says, it is having protracted phone calls with product providers trying to get information from them and filling out forms. “But that is definitely outweighed by the more enjoyable sides of the role.” Chris says he is lucky enough to have an office of his own next to Gershom’s. “It may seem like a perk but it’s necessary to have some peace and quiet when I’m tackling technical issues. Our work can be quite complicated at times and it helps when I want to get my head around things.” In time, he says, he might consider becoming a Consultant himself. “It would be a natural progression from what I do now and something I would enjoy doing.” Outside of work Chris is a film buff; his favourite film is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , starring Jim Carrey. He is also a musician and has played in a band since his teenage years. His current band is called The Old Pink House. They play Indie-Rock.

14 Lowes.co.uk