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STEVEN THOMPSON, CHARTERED FCSI PARTNER, GSB CAPITAL
Steven has sat 13 financial exams, most recently achieving the CISI level 6 Certificate in Private Client Investment Advice & Management, and is now working towards the CISI level 7 Chartered Wealth Manager qualification. His greatest achievement to date is attaining Chartered Fellow status with the CISI. In 2021, he moved from Scotland to
the UAE after accepting a role with GSB Capital in Dubai as a qualified adviser. This followed a decision to “change sides of the table” after working in asset management and product sales for the preceding 30 years. “My role today is very different,” says Steven, “in that I am now much at the coalface as a fee-based adviser, managing clients’ financial affairs. I still rise at 5am
and my day is only done when I have no clients to respond to!” Steven’s biggest concern about the
financial services sector in the UAE is the “lack of qualified individuals” and poor public perception. He is hopeful that the CISI will “continue to make good headway with working with talent” in the region. Two key future skills are empathy and user experience, he says.
View on virtual assets Any asset that can rise significantly and then collapse and lose a third of its value in a single day (think 2017!) should be avoided in my opinion. I believe that you must be mentally prepared to buy crypto, or NFTs for that matter. They’re not for the average investor.
EMMA DOBSON MCSI CHAIR OF THE CISI YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK
Age doesn’t confer
better judgement. It may mean nothing more than that you are older. Regardless of age you need to hone your antennae to distinguish between good judgement and utter nonsense. And sadly there’s far too much of this around
SIR DAVID HOWARD FCSI(HON) CHAIR, CHARLES STANLEY LORD MAYOR OF LONDON FROM 2000 TO 2001
In 2013, Emma ‘stumbled’ into financial services because, she jokes, she “loves numbers and spreadsheets”. She applied for and obtained a compliance-related role, began working her way through several CISI exams to show commitment to her career choice, and in 2018 achieved the level 6 Diploma in Investment Compliance. In 2021, Emma sat on the panel for the
CISI’s Annual Integrity Debate, and considers this to be her greatest career achievement to date. “It was a fantastic opportunity, and an absolute privilege, to sit alongside such experienced contributors to the financial services sector. Nerve- wracking, but seriously fun!” As a compliance officer, it is Emma’s
job to be “concerned about everything” but she identifies fraud as “one of the most heartbreaking things to see when it happens in real life”. With the risk of fraud and the pace of technological change, two key future skills are cybersecurity and adaptability, she says. She would like to see “a change in
public perception of financial services and for customers to feel that they’re getting a fair service. I think one way to achieve this is for employees of financial services firms to properly represent the diverse background of the people it serves.”
Advice for school leavers or graduates Stay open-minded to the subject area, role, or career that you think you want. The sector is huge and the variety of roles is enormous. Keep your eyes open for interesting and relevant things that come and allow you to enjoy your job. It’s all good experience.
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THE REVIEW SEPTEMBER 2022
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