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Martin Potter
Martin Potter is a partner in the independent pension consultancy, Hymans Robertson. As a youngster he lived abroad for a spell, but his main childhood home was in Salisbury, in south- west England. Before coming to Scotland he lived in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He now lives with his wife and young family in The Trossachs, near Stirling.
When and why did you come to Scotland? We came up in September 2004. There were several reasons for the move. I was keen to try a different type of business, one that was slightly smaller but still a partnership. My previous employer was a large organisation and the set up had changed quite a bit. Also, my wife and I had family in the northern half of the country. She is originally from the Lake District and my parents were living in Largs, in Ayrshire, at the time. Another pull was the lifestyle. We
didn’t fall out of love with St Albans and the south-east, it was simply that we it felt was too busy, expensive and crowded for us. Scotland offered a better alternative to that. Tell us about your employer and what you do there. Hymans Robertson provides consultancy to employers, focusing on their benefit arrangements and, most typically, their pension arrangements. Our clients are corporates, trustees of pension schemes and public sector organisations. We have around 600 staff, half based in Scotland (Edinburgh and Glasgow) and the other half in England (London and Birmingham). I am one of the owning partners. Four
years ago I set up the Edinburgh office. I am involved in a number of leadership roles and actively consult with a number of trustee clients. I’ve also taken on a professional
role with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, as leader of its Scottish board. I help to look after and encourage the actuarial community in Scotland. It takes up around two days a month. How is your daily commute? It’s quite a long one by Scottish standards – about an hour and a half each way. First, I drive to Stirling then take the train to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
I do quite a bit of travel, often making the trips down to London. However, the most important thing for me is that home is where we want to spend our family weekends. It’s great to be able to enjoy our weekends in a beautiful place on the edge of a national park. How have your wife and family adjusted to life in Scotland? My wife has taken very easily to life here. Since coming to Scotland, we’ve had two daughters to add to our twin boys. Living in the country makes a big difference, especially when you have young children. You get to know people, your children can attend the local school and you become members of a strong local community – that’s a great feeling. Have you found suitable childcare/ education for your children? Both of our younger children have been through the local nursery, and one is still there. Our other daughter is now at the local primary, while our boys are at senior school. It’s all been very easy
compared to down south, where there seemed to be a great deal of anxiety about getting your children into the right nursery. We’re very happy with the quality of education here. Are there enough opportunities for leisure and recreation? This was a big draw for us. It’s quiet around our home, there is fantastic scenery and we have a large garden. At the weekend I was out picking berries in the garden, and I can see some tasty puddings being served up at the family dinner table in the next few weeks! There are outdoor activities on our
doorstep. We like family walks and I enjoy hill running. One of our children recently took part in a sponsored swim in a nearby loch and I can take the kids off wild camping in the Trossachs. In the last couple of years we have even spent our holidays in Scotland. We’re very happy in Scotland and
would be content to be here for the rest of our days.
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