Q: What did you do before coming to Edward Jones?
A: Previously I had set up a financial services firm in Manchester together with three other directors. We built up a business of about 1.4 million turnover, employing about 25 staff. And we specialized in small self-administered schemes and self-invested pensions. So I did that for about four years. But I got rather disenchanted with that type of business and spent most of my time in administrative tasks and very little time advising clients, which is what I wanted to do. Q: How did you hear about Edward Jones?
A: I heard about Edward Jones by finding out about them myself. About three or four years before I joined the firm I was aware of them, because I’d been looking on the Web site and I’d been trying to find out what American firms were doing in the U.K. And I came across the Edward Jones Web site. And I found a lot of similarities to what I believed financial services should involve, and I actually got so far as getting some details but I didn’t apply at that time because I had my own business. However, about a year ago, just over a year ago, I decided that I liked the look of Edward Jones and applied, and I found out that there was an attractive proposition for existing advisers who had experience and who may or may not have had their own client bank, but who wanted an opportunity to work with a firm like Edward Jones. Q: Well, what was the training like for you?
A: I was surprised, in a sense, when I was told there’d be quite an intensive training scheduled when I joined Edward Jones. But although I’ve got over 30 years experience in financial services, I’m not so arrogant to think that I can’t learn something new. But the fact is, sometimes it’s good to take a step back and to recognize there are certain things that you, perhaps, can benefit from by being taught again or reminded. And there are also some things that, perhaps, you’ve never learned before that would be beneficial to you in the business you’re doing. So I had quite an intensive training schedule as soon as I joined Edward Jones. But what I particularly liked about it was that it was tailored specifically to my needs. It was almost as if there was an “Alan Cheetham Module” that was designed for me, so that it was going to help me to achieve my objectives as a Financial Adviser with Edward Jones. The other thing I liked about it was the way the training was managed, even down to the details of the structure of the day, so that you weren’t overwhelmed with facts and figures and too much training. It was nicely broken up into bite-sized chunks, so you could manage the training easily and assimilate it, so it was affective. Q: How important is it for you to live and work in the same community?
A: I believe what is good about this proposition is that it allows me to retain all my standards and my principles in providing advice to the individual investor in a local community where I live, and to build this business that I want to grow. I think it’s really what I’ve always been looking for in terms of being a financial adviser to individuals. Q: How is Edward Jones different than most firms?
A: I think that Jones recognizes the entrepreneurial character of financial advisers and their desire to do what’s right for their clients, but do it their way. Edward Jones provides the structure for that to take place, but within certain structures that help me to remain compliant, to remain busy and to stay focused on the business of advising the clients. I also think one of the unique things that Edward Jones did was to hand the business back to the people who worked in it. And this concept of being a partner in a business is something I’ve always wanted. I’d also say that the Jones structure is not one which is condemnatory – it’s not one which looks over your shoulder all the time and chastises you. It’s one which helps you to develop and to fulfill your potential. It really is a refreshing change, and one which I very much welcome and I enjoy.
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