Lowes Magazine Issue 127

SPOTLIGHT

Barry Hopper was recently appointed to the role of Commercial Director at Lowes. Barry is steeped in Lowes culture, having been with the company for nearly 20 years. He followed in the steps of his father, David, as a Lowes consultant, even taking on some of his father’s clients when he retired, before more recently stepping into business development. Now, his role is to help Lowes grow as a company, while it continues to look after its clients in line with its long held principle of being a business with a ‘family’ feel, ‘where personal finances are cared for personally.’ Barry brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role, not just from his many years of advising Lowes clients but from previous corporate manager roles; prior to Lowes he worked for Sage plc and British Airways. Spotlight on Lowes people

Describing his new role, Barry says: “In a nutshell, I oversee a team with a focus on making the advice journey as smooth as possible for our clients, making the business itself more efficient and effective, and ensuring our customer service is second to none. “Financial planning is becoming increasingly complex, which means independent financial advice is becoming more important in helping people achieve their financial lifestyle objectives. Take as an example, inheritance tax. This was introduced as a tax for the very wealthy but now more and more people are being caught in that tax trap. Showing clients how they can avoid paying unnecessary tax is where we can help. “It’s important to us that our clients get the best possible outcomes and that they know Lowes is here to support them and give them the personal advice they need.” Good service can only be delivered by good people, and one of Barry’s responsibilities is to ensure Lowes staff have everything they need to give their best for clients. “Our people are core to delivering and developing our service, so we look to help them develop their potential and to gather skills as they progress through their career with us. The more comprehensive the experience of our people and the more knowledge they have, the better they can serve our clients.” Another focus for Barry is developing the technical aspects of how Lowes delivers its service. “In today’s digital world, we need to be able to deliver excellent service in a range of ways,” he says. “That includes giving our clients a choice in how they access our financial services – whether that’s via the web, telephone or face-to-face. We’re already well under way in refining our services and investing in technology to make us more efficient and easier for clients to deal with. The personal element remains paramount, but some clients are more comfortable using technology.” Asked if 20 years ago he could have pictured himself as Commercial Director of Lowes, Barry says: “Whilst I really enjoyed the financial adviser role, I always felt that my corporate experience would prove of further benefit and working in such a capacity at Lowes was a logical step. I have known Ian Lowes for nearly fifty years, our families have worked together at Lowes for approaching forty years and whilst I hadn’t banked on such, it seems like a case of destiny that I am now a director of Lowes Group.”

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