Jeff Arnold Page 16 Founder of Insurance Leader of the Year USA
Global Awards2021 FM Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Finance Monthly Global Awards. As we’re wrapping up yet another challenging year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, here at Finance Monthly, we’re more delighted than ever to be able to provide a platform that recognises the most inspiring and hard-working leaders who drive the finance industry today. It has been our mission to celebrate the most deserving financial advisers and firms across the globe for exactly a decade now – and this year will be no different. After months of researching some of the most successful professionals and companies at an international level, we are proud to present an edition that showcases true excellence in the world of finance. At Finance Monthly, we are pleased to present our 2021 Finance Monthly Global Awards - a celebration of the best in the global financial arena! Congratulations to our winners! FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INTRODUCTION www.finance-monthly.com 5
Introducing the Winners... Global Awards2021 FM FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com 6
EUROPE Austria TAIYO Legal TAIYO Legal Banking Law Firm of the Year Belgium Macarena Ybarra Coello de Portugal EDP COACHING Executive and Personal Coach of the Year Bulgaria Celine Bolard Groupama Group Life Insurance Leader of the Year 36 Czech Republic Iva Buschmann Iva Buschmann Coaching Performance Coach of the Year France Antoine Castro PAREF Real Estate Leader of the Year Lionel Benant Ernst & Young Société d’Avocats Tax and Legal Adviser of the Year Germany Alexander Sperber SPERBER Steuerberater Tax Advisory Firm of the Year Alexandra Dellmeier LexDellmeier Intellectual Property Adviser of the Year 38 Christian Weckermann Munich Re Insurance Specialist of the Year Jens Ammon HONORIS Treuhand GmbH Financial Planner of the Year Sam Du Feu Midshore Consulting Limited Financial Consulting Firm of the Year Greece Ioannis Sinanidis Joint Efforts Innovations Financial Consulting Firm of the Year 43 Guernsey Callum Beaton Callum Beaton (Insurance Consulting) Limited Isurance Consulting Firm of the Year Cees Vermaas The International Stock Exchange Group Limited Exchange Platform of the Year Ireland Karl Hyden Kadenza Group Personal Coach of the Year Isle of Man Verity Babb Equiom Group Douglas Tax Advisory Firm of the Year FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com 7
Italy Claudia Landini Claudia Landini Intercultural Coach of the Year Erica D’Angelo Erica D’Angelo Coaching Business Coach of the Year Katiuscia Baggio Katiuscia Baggio Personal Coach of the Year Rossano Tacconi DB Financial Advisors Financial Adviser of the Year Jersey Chris Curtis D&C Consultants Financial Consulting Firm of the Year Latvia Laura Kunstberga Laura Kunstberga, Professional Life and Business Coach Professional, Life and Business Coach of the Year Lithuania Lina Stankevičienė-Pietarė Stankeviciene.com Leadership development Coach of the Year Malta Artem Tymoshenko Maxpay Limited Payments Leader of the Year Netherlands Jessica Lombardo PwC M&A Adviser of the Year Joost van Ladesteijn Vertex Legal Strategic Management Law Firm of the Year Marc Broekema BFI Global Valuation & Appraisal Adviser of the Year Spain Elena Pérez-Moreiras Grupo RH Asesores Executive Coaching Firm of the Year Fernando Sadornil Casares Mapfre, S.A. Reinsurance Adviser of the Year Sweden Hannah Bäcklin University of Gothenburg Career Coach of the Year Switzerland Marina Riedi EQ-Power Emotional Intelligence Coach of the Year Turkey Sandrine Gelin-Lamrani G&L Shift® Career Coach of the Year 44 8 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com
Ukraine Vyacheslav Andriyko Willis Towers Watson Reinsurance Adviser of the Year United Kingdom Adrian Ashton Adrian Ashton Management Consulting Firm of the Year Aleksandra Kowalik Kowalik Adwokacka Law Firm Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year 22 Asim Mian Amplus Accountancy Accounting and Auditing Adviser of the Year Christine NIcholson Nicholson Hall Consulting Ltd. Business Mentoring Adviser of the Year 46 Claire Brumby Claire Brumby High Performance Coach of the Year FCMB Bank (UK) Limited FCMB Bank (UK) Limited Trader Finance Adviser of the Year 48 Gill Millen Bowmore Wealth Group Corporate Financial Planning Adviser of the Year Graeme Inglis Poise Financial Planning Ltd NHS Pension Scheme Adviser of the Year 50 Jackie Haywood Illuminate you ltd Personal Coach of the Year Jason Stather-Lodge OCM Wealth Management Financial Planner of the Year Joy Roskilly Themis Wealth Management Top UK Independent Financial Advisor Keith Webster KCStrengthsHUB Executive Coach of the Year 52 Ken Dickson Axiom-e Limited Management Accounting Leader of the Year Kevin Mawer Forensic Recovery Limited Insolvency and Restructuring Adviser of the Year Kimberley Lotery One Mind Coaching Coaching Excellence Louise Lewis Louise Lewis Coaching Personal Coaching Firm of the Year Mel Greaves Inner Direction Professional Coach of the Year Mel Storer BKPS Ltd. Chartered Management Accountants Firm of the Year 34 Nicola Roberts Deloitte LLP Capital Gains Tax Adviser of the Year Paul Kimber Durkan Limited Independent Developer and Contractor Leader of the Year Phil Woodward Leumi ABL Asset Based Lender of the Year 54 Robert Vaudry Copia Capital Management Investment Management Leader of the Year 56 Seven Stages Seven Stages Pension Advisory Firm of the Year Shankar Devarashetty Oasis Accountants Accounting Firm of the Year 9 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com
10 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com Susana Coutinho Mainstreet Partners Sustainable Investment Firm of the Year Tom Pickering Icebreaker Executive Business Consulting Firm of the Year Vivak Kapoor Monument Re Group M&A Adviser of the Year AMERICAS Brazil Eduardo Jorge Costa Martins Deloitte Financial Adviser of the Year Sonia Arruda Neo Negócios Management Consulting Firm of the Year Canada Amanda Nelson PretiumWealth Wealth Management and Management Ltd Financial Planning Adviser of the Year Carol Gagné Romeo Bessette & Fils Financial Security Adviser of the Year Chanise Rooney Sun Life Financial Financial Adviser of the Year Christine Marks Estate Multipliers Best Financial Planning & Insurance Adviser Clinton Orr Becker Orr WealthManagement Wealth Management Adviser of the Year 61 Colleen Gillam-Judd Servus Wealth Strategies Investment Adviser of the Year 62 Denis Schweizer John Molson School of Business Financial Educationalist of the Year Devan Legare Manulife Securities Incorporated Investment Firm of the Year Devon Lowe Lowe & Associates Private Wealth Management Adviser of the Year Emeka Udeagha IG Wealth Management Financial Planning Consultant of the Year Jonathan Graves The Graves Financial Advisory Group Financial Planning Adviser of the Year 64 Kevin Hegedus PWM Private Wealth Counsel Financial Planning Leader of the Year 66 Laura Thompson Investia WPG Wealth Planning & Insurance Adviser of the Year Luke Baylis Scotia Wealth Management™ Best Investment Adviser Matthew Wall MDW Consulting Inc Transfer Pricing Leader of the Year
11 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com Nathalie Sibéril ALIA CONSEIL Leadership Development Coach of the Year Ryan Murray IG Private Wealth Management Retirement Planning Adviser of the Year Samantha LoCurto Royal Bank of Canada Personal Financial Adviser of the Year Shauna Skinner Darsha Inc. Life Coaching Firm of the Year Cayman Islands Bhavesh Patel Travers Thorp Alberga Commercial Litigation Lawyer of the Year USA Al Delgado Delgado Real Estate, Inc. Real Estate Appraiser of the Year 70 Atif Khan Sunset Lake Rd. Islamic Finance Institue of the Year Bill Kruse Hauk Kruse & Associates Exit Planning Adviser of the Year 72 David Embry Mylo InsurTech Firm of the Year Donald Bays Henry + Horne Litigation & Valuation Leader of the Year Elisabeth Dawson Copia Wealth Management & Insurance Services Financial Adviser of the Year 26 Frances E. Renk Frances E. Renk Real Estate Adviser of the Year Gideon Rothschild Moses & Singer LLP Estate Planning Adviser of the Year Heather Lang Morningstar Sustainable and Responsible Investment Adviser of the Year Howard Lashner Primerica Financial Services Leader of the Year Jeff Arnold RightSure Insurance Leader of the Year 16 John Byrnes Community Services Analysis LLC Evaluation Expert of the Year 75 Linda Hamilton Linda A Hamilton CPA LLC Exit Planning Adviser of the Year Lisa Karell Metanoia Leadership Coach of the Year Margaret Regan The FutureWork Institute, Inc. Management Consulting Adviser of the Year 78 Marna Ricker Ernst & Young LLP Tax Adviser of the Year 32 Michael W. Grainey Michael Grainey Consulting LLC Renewable Energy Adviser of the Year 80 Paul Share Riveron Transformative Situations Leader of the Year Raphael Di Napoli Riveron Financial Services Adviser of the Year
12 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com ASIA China Raymond Yongrui Zhu Dentons Alternative Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year 85 Hong Kong Derek Wong Grant Sherman Appraisal Ltd Business Valuation Adviser of the Year 86 India FSS FSS Financial Technology Firm of the Year Malaysia Irene Yong Shearn Delamore & Co. Tax Advisory Partner of the Year New Zealand Ian Fay Deloitte Tax Adviser of the Year Philippines Antonio Alviar Antonio Alviar Leadership Coach of the Year Singapore Linda H F NG HSBC Private Bank Trust Planning Adviser of the Year Wilson Ng Coaching Changes Lives Organisational Leadership Development Coach of the Year Eric Neo S.W. Neo & Partners Global Financial Technology Firm of the Year Private Limited Tunisia Jihene Malek Tunisian Smart Cities Digital Banking Solutions and Innovative Services Firm of the Year 88 United Arab Emirates Ross Matthews-Smith MSK Ventures Investment Management Adviser of the Year 89 Vietnam Grégoire Amigues Human Inside Professional Coach of the Year
13 FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 - INDEX www.finance-monthly.com AFRICA Kenya Rose Ogega Bloom Consultancy Limited Professional Coach of the Year Abas Alhassan Realising Dream Global Personal Coach of the Year Arthi Rabikrisson Prerna Advisory Leadership Coach of the Year 92 Carolyn Diaz Carolyn Diaz Executive Coach of the Year Dvorah Stein The Hive Leadership Coaching Firm of the Year AUSTRALASIA Australia Alison Callan Alison Callan Mindful Clarity and Success Coach of the Year Anooj Thakrar PSC Insurance Group Group Finance Leader of the Year Stacey Ashley Ashley Coaching & Consulting Pty Ltd High-Performance Leadership Coach of the Year Sue Steel Sue Steel Executive Coach of the Year Sharee Johnson Catching for Doctors Healthcare Coach of the Year
Jeff Arnold RIGHTSURE Insurance Leader of the Year. USA Aleksandra Kowalik Kowalik Adwokacka Law Firm Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year, United Kingdom Elisabeth Dawson Copia Wealth Management & Insurance Services and Copia Wealth Management Advisors Inc. Financial Adviser of the Year, USA Marna Ricker Ernst & Young LLP Tax Adviser of the Year, USA BKPS Ltd Mel Storer, Managing Director Chartered Management Accountants Firm of the Year, United Kingdom Celine Bolard Groupama Zastrahovane -Zhivotozastrahovane, entities of Groupama Group Coaching Adviser of the Year, Bulgaria Alexandra Dellmeier LexDellmeier Intellectual Property Law Firm Intellectual Property Adviser of the Year, Germany Featured Winners 16 22 26 32 34 36 38
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 16 Insurance Leader of the Year USA Jeff Arnold is the founder of RIGHTSURE, one of the most awarded insurance firms in North America. He is the author of five books with four of them holding the highly coveted spot of #1 Bestseller. Jeff has been called a Thought Leader and Global Ambassador for the Insurance Industry. A title he maintains that most executives in insurance should be noted for. “Nearly Every Insurance Executive I know – gives back and speaks wonderful things about the spectacularly awesome products we offer. Arnold submits that all of us should be titled Global Ambassadors “ Founder, RIGHTSURE www.rightsure.com Jeff Arnold
18 The way you got into the insurance industry is quite interesting – can you tell us a little bit about it? You know, I used to say that after leaving Hollywood as a failed comic and actor, I applied for a very cliché newspaper ad that said: “Insurance Salesman Wanted”. But after so many interviews and podcasts for my books over the years, it became clear to me that I have admired this industry from the time I was 12 years old and working on a farm in Western Kentucky. I was standing on a trailer separating tobacco leaves for harvesting when a guy drove up in a brand new four-door Buick with the windows up (which means he had air conditioning ). Out stepped this guy in a crisp white shirt and tie – which prompted me to ask my friend on the hay bale next JEFF ARNOLD Insurance Leader of the Year, USA
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 19 to me: “What does that guy do?”, to which he replied: “Insurance or something like that”. So after nearly three decades in Insurance, I can confidently say that – the industry called to me when I was still a teenager – working in the tobacco fields. It just took me another decade to answer that call. What made you fall in love with the job? From day one of answering the aforementioned ad, I was hooked. I couldn’t read enough, learn enough and I couldn’t stop telling people about insurance. The sophisticated risk transfer features we use, the joy of packaging up legal contracts and offering them to the public, all of it, everything from our rich history to how our industry impacts so many parts of the world for good and social betterment. What has the COVID-19 pandemic been like on the insurance industry in North America? Certainly, the past couple of years have impacted everyone in different ways. Personally speaking, the entire event drastically changed my leadership style. Pre-COVID, I was hyper-focused on goals, targets, revenue improvement and of course expense management. During COVID, I had to pivot and become more emotionally engaged and compassionate. Maybe our goals had to be dialled back, but our staff needed adjustment time, mental breaks and check-ins to make sure everyone was ok. I don’t think anyone came out of COVID with the same leadership skills they entered it with. We all had to change. How could we not have and be relevant? What are some of the challenges you’ve been faced with and how have you adapted to them? I think that every firm is wrestling with talent issues. Recruiting new staff, keeping existing staff, fine-tuning a more balanced workplace that is compatible with a shifting expectation. Firms that want to remain relevant have to adapt, enhance offerings, improve messaging and become engaged in not only re-recruiting their existing staff but continually identifying what the next wave of onboarding insurance geeks wants work to look like. I would submit to your readers that it most certainly begins with a “remote first“ offering where workers may choose to live and work anywhere they want. "After nearly three decades in Insurance, I can confidently say that – the industry called to me when I was still a teenager – working in the tobacco fields. It just took me another decade to answer that call."
JEFF ARNOLD Insurance Leader of the Year, USA 20 You’re also an author of five books, including four #1 bestsellers – tell us a little bit about them. Thank you for that question and I could spend forever on this, but I’ll try to be succinct. • My first book The Art of the Insurance Deal is a look back on insurance firms acquired and lessons learned. It lists more failures than successes and therefore is a great “what not to do” read for anyone in the M&A space. • My second book How to Beat Your Insurance Company has a bit of a misleading title (or a hook as my publisher called it). This one is mostly about the value of using a professional insurance representative or agent to get the best value in all insurance purchased. • My third book is Tech Enabled, Tech Forward and Tech Shackled. This was a primer reflecting on how integrating tech in our industry should and should not be done. • My fourth book Insurance Evolved is another very short primer on where I see our industry in 2025. A date that is rapidly approaching. The content, though brief, is super thought-provoking. • Lastly, my fifth book is Moments with Mucka. Though this one has not made it to number one yet, I hope that it will join the other publications one day. Moments with Mucka is about my firm RIGHTURE and our journey to become a highly awarded workplace and technology firm. It includes emails and memos from me to staff in our early days and discusses the operational, cash flow, staffing issues that nearly every agency owner or insurance executive can relate to. When can we expect a new book and what topic do you plan to explore next? I think I am always working on the next book in my mind and candidly I am probably already three books ahead in my imagination. The book I am consolidating the most notes about right now is The Rise of the InsurTechs and am quietly speaking to founders I believe are transforming the landscape of how insurance is bought, sold and serviced Finally, can you tell us a little bit about this award and what it means to you? RIGHTSURE has been so very fortunate to be a recipient of so many awards, but the thing about winning is that it never ever gets old. It is actually quite addicting and pushes everyone at our firm to improve, be better, work smarter and harder. Winning is for everyone a validation that we are on the right path, working as a team. "Firms that want to remain relevant have to adapt, enhance offerings, improve messaging and become engaged in not only re-recruiting their existing staff but continually identifying what the next wave of onboarding insurance geeks wants work to look like."
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 21
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 23 Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year United Kingdom Aleksandra Kowalik is a busy lady. Yet from juggling her own firm, being a bilateral lawyer and tackling tough criminal cases, she finds the time to let off some steam in probably one of the most ‘badass’ ways possible: mixed martial arts. Who would want to get on the wrong side of Aleksandra?! Her list of credentials does not mean she is as intimidating as she sounds; friendly and inviting, it is bewildering to how Aleksandra remains cool when you think about the sheer pressure she works in. "Criminal law constitutes a pure and primordial form of law for me. It is the first sign of basic guarantees and grounds of both developing and shaping modern societies. "Criminal law is the primary reply to the aforementioned societies’ needs widely understood as prevention, rehabilitation but most importantly fair trial; therefore the role of a criminal defence lawyer is a burden on one side, but simultaneously it states an honourable and exceptional status of a guardian in the name of justice." Kowalik Adwokacka Law Firm UK: +44 754 097 7720 | PL: +48 52 331 44 44 E: aleksandrakowalik@op.pl | akowaliklegal@gmail.com | kancelaria.kowalik@op.pl www.akowalik.com Aleksandra Kowalik
24 ALEKSANDRA KOWALIK Criminal Defence Law Firm of the Year, United Kingdom MEMBERSHIPS • Member of European Criminal Bar Association • Member of DELF- Defence Extradition Lawyers Forum • Member of the Academy of European Law in Trier. AREAS OF EXPERTISE • Cross- border criminal matters (especially VAT carousels) • Classic crime • Extradition • Human rights (including deportations and deportation orders revocations) • Border Force seizures • Contractual claims A dual qualified lawyer- a solicitor of England and Wales and a barrister of the Polish Bar who possesses a vast wealth of knowledge and has a proven record of providing advice to clients and delivering positive outcomes for them. Always patient, calm and rational in the face of difficult situations, able to handle long hours, intense pressure, demanding deadlines and great responsibility. I. 2000-2005- The Faculty of Law and Administration of Nicolaus Copernicus University in ToruÅ„. Studies graduated on 7th July 2005-Master of Law; II. 2005- 2008- Statutory judicial trainee at the Regional and Appeal Courts in Poland. III. 2009: final judical examination certificated by the Ministry of Justice; IV. 2000- 2009- Legal trainee at Andrzej Kowalik Chambers; V. 2009- called to the Polish Bar. VI. 2009- 2012- barrister at Andrzej Kowalik Chambers set up in 1992 by my father running to the date VII. Since 2012 onwards- Barrister at Kowalik Chambers. VIII.2013-2014/ 2015-2019 Registered European Lawyer in England and Wales; IX. 12/04/2019- Solicitor of England and Wales So in conclusion I am a dual qualified in both jurisdictions. International team effectively cooperating and delivering the high quality of services to the Clients; our team is intending to grow globally. Muay thai amateur fighter (The White Collar Fight Club) for the charity purposes- fundraiser for Minds to fight the stigma related to a shame caused by mental health issues. Trying to raise awareness of the significance of the beauty of each mind and educating society by supporting Minds campaign fighting. About Aleksandra Kowalik "Always patient, calm and rational in the face of difficult situations, able to handle long hours, intense pressure, demanding deadlines and great responsibility"
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 25 Our company is a family business established in 1992 by barrister at law Mr Andrzej Kowalik. We are dedicated to maintain strictly defined goals and values in providing services to individuals at highest professional standard. We pride ourselves with long-lasting traditions which we strive to maintain throughout the existence of our law practice. About Kowalik Adwokacka Law Firm UK: +44 754 097 7720 PL: +48 52 331 44 44 E: aleksandrakowalik@op.pl akowaliklegal@gmail.com kancelaria.kowalik@op.pl www.akowalik.com
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 26 Financial Adviser of the Year USA Elisabeth Dawson is the founder of Copia Wealth Management & Insurance Services and Copia Wealth Management Advisors Inc., organisations that provide comprehensive financial advising with education to help clients achieve their desired wealth goals. Having spent 23 years as a financial adviser, Elisabeth believes that the cornerstone to her success is the vigilant recognition that losses hurt you more than gains help you. Finding creative ways to protect and grow the assets of her clients has been Elisabeth’s professional passion as she specialises in helping those that desire consistent stable returns that deliver solid growth but want to see their principle protected with as little risk as possible. Her organisation’s macroeconomic approach begins with a comprehensive evaluation of a client’s “Wish List” and financial engineering strategies to achieve successful results with minimised risk. Unlike other traditional financial planning firms, the team at Copia focuses on educating and counselling their clients through every financial task and decision in their lives. Founder, Copia Wealth Management & Insurance Services and Copia Wealth Management Advisors Inc. www.copiawm.com Elisabeth Dawson
ELISABETH DAWSON Financial Adviser of the Year, USA 28 Tell us about Copia Wealth Management’s mission and approach? Having worked for Nordstrom for 10 years, the first rule of business was always customer service and that is what I chose to bring with me into this new endeavour. Many within the financial industry may have the technical aspects well in hand, but fail to combine that with customer care, which is where I believe the distinction lies. Conversations about finances and how one relates to money can reveal very personal information. Because of this, we strive to build relationships with our clients that create trust in our abilities with the confidence to openly discuss assets and goals, or as I prefer to describe it, their “Wish List”. Money is emotional and is one of the top causes for emotional distress in a person’s life. There’s a psychology that comes with really understanding a person’s relationship to their money, and why they behave and think the way that they do. So many of us have anxiety regarding money. We work hard for it, we tell ourselves we have to have it, but rarely do we understand it. This is why I became a Certified Money Coach through the Money Coaching Institute. My passion is to truly unveil the possibilities of having a great relationship with money and why it is important to simplify the complexity of money and financial issues in all areas of life. That is why I wrote the book “Wealth By Design” and why I continue to write every year. I want to do great things for great people; to create an amazing life by design and not a life by casualties and therefore have made it my mission to consciously analyse, strategise, find solutions and support people in avoiding the worry and emotional suffering that is commonly attached to the psychology of money. This creates clarity and gives back power over one’s finances, life and future. It is our privilege and mission to support that financial journey and freedom.
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 29 What makes your company unique? We want to welcome people to talk about their most vulnerable relationship in the world, money. Each person on the planet sacrifices and works so hard for the money that they earn, but most people have a negative relationship with money, whether they want to admit it or not. Most parents don’t talk about money with their kids and the costs associated with managing a household, so those same kids grow up not understanding how money works. Some people are better than others in being able to make money, but the majority of people have no idea how to create true wealth with money and keep it. Each and every day we sacrifice our time with our loved ones to achieve the “American Dream” of financial wealth and independence. We work incredibly hard for money to provide our lifestyles, but we are scared to death about having a conversation about money whatsoever, as a fear of being judged. As a certified Money Coach as well as a comprehensive financial adviser, I want to help my clients build a healthy relationship with money through education and a sense of peace. What are the main mistakes people make when it comes to wealth management? Having no strategy and living way beyond their means. Creating a strategy may increase your potential for success, both before and after retirement. Chasing “hot” investments often leads to despair. Create an asset allocation strategy that is properly diversified to reflect your objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon; then make adjustments based on changes in your personal situation, not due to market ups and downs. And lastly, having a fearful and anxiety-driven relationship with money. It is important to know your relationship with money and to make sure it is working for you. Many people struggle with this and it is one of my greatest pleasures to help rid people of the constant worrying they put on themselves and their finances! What are your top tips on effective wealth management? The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone is for them to really focus on having that healthy relationship with their money. My book, Wealth By Design, is the best tool I have in that it helps simplify what can be a rather complex understanding of money and how it affects us. We like to have our clients create a “Wish List” of goals that they would like to achieve in their lifetimes, then we build a plan that will help them achieve those goals, free from anxiety and stress. Really look at what you want and by when and then consider what you are willing to sacrifice to get to that goal. We need to have these conversations with our partner. We need to have an open and honest communication with our children that is healthy so that our children can have an abundant relationship with money in their future with their children. The wealth you want to create is based on strategies for success and psychology. If you put the work into it and become educated about how to do it right, you will succeed. There is no magic bullet, success is created with discipline and commitment to a savings and investment plan to achieve the financial goals you want to achieve. You need consistency in your growing of wealth without imposing more risk than you are willing to experience. "My passion is to truly unveil the possibilities of having a great relationship with money and why it is important to simplify the complexity of money and financial issues in all areas of life."
ELISABETH DAWSON Financial Adviser of the Year, USA 30 Why should more people consider working with you? We specialise in creating a vision for the ultimate goal of retirement and helping people retire right the first time. No one should have to go back to work once they are retired. I read an article in the World Economic Forum that stated that the typical 65-year-old only has enough savings to cover 9.7 years of retirement income. Based on the average life spans of men and women, that leaves them facing 8-11 more years with no savings left! And that is assuming you live an average lifespan. What if you're one of the "lucky" ones who live longer, and you outlive your money by 20 to 25 years or more? Once we begin to create solutions for our financial goals, we create building blocks to take care of our family in the event we are no longer here. If you are your “money person”, then we need to have strategies in place for your spouse, partner, children to be wise with what you have worked so hard to create for them for their lifetimes. This is where certain financial tools will help to create the estate that our families need and you can have peace that your family will be taken care of. Again, the relationship with money is crucial. We want to create a better relationship with it and then pass down that knowledge and education to the next generation so that we can all be good stewards of it. What have been some of your main recent achievements? Earlier this year, I had a vision to create a Financial Education Portal based on my book, Wealth By Design, for clients, prospects and other advisers in the financial services industry. We have been working on this since February 2021 and it is now fully operational. The name of the site is WealthByDesignBook.com and I encourage everyone to get a copy of our book and go through the educational course to work on building the Financial Plan that you want to create. This is a step by step of our process and helps the “Do-It-Yourselfer” accomplish this planning on their own. Or the consumer can reach out to us and we can take them through the process together. This has been a huge undertaking and a passionate work of mine. I’m so grateful for all the support and our team's hard work to create such an amazing educational platform. I have had the privilege of being recognised as a nominee for Woman of the Year and Industry Leader through San Diego Magazine. I was also recently awarded as a Power Woman of San Diego for Discover Magazine and someone to watch out for. "Creating a strategy may increase your potential for success, both before and after retirement. Chasing “hot” investments often leads to despair. Create an asset allocation strategy that is properly diversified to reflect your objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon; then make adjustments based on changes in your personal situation, not due to market ups and downs."
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 31 What has the COVID-19 pandemic taught you? That we need to take it seriously. My husband, daughter and I were diagnosed with COVID-19 last year and it is very real and very scary. It’s brought the importance of how precious every moment we have is. How much our relationships matter and how important it is to have those support systems, both at home and at work. Peace of mind that we will survive this and become even better people when this pandemic passes - because it will. Initially, when the pandemic was announced and everything shut down, there was fear and anxiety for everyone on the planet. It touched every person in the world. We had to bring up our customer service to a completely different level than ever before. We work with people’s hard-earned money and assets. It is a huge responsibility and we take that responsibility extremely seriously, so we made sure to call each and every one of our clients to offer support and provide them comfort in knowing that their financial plans remained safe and in a good position. Now, doing this from our homes at the time was a bit of a challenge. Setting up home offices at a moment’s notice and using Zoom for communication required some adjustment, but our clients are grateful for it and in the end, so were we. We made sure to take care of our clients during one of the most vulnerable times in our history, and in return, they referred us to more people to help. We all got through this together and continue doing so. This year in so many ways has been a complete miracle of persistence and finding joy in every precious moment. What do you hope to accomplish in the future? I want to continue to grow the Copia team so eventually, they take the firm well beyond in the years to come. I’d like to keep growing our Podcast Ways To Love Your Money, bring on more guest speakers and complete my next book. I want to continue working with individuals as a Money Coach to discover their fears and anxieties about money and to conquer them and find more ways to educate on the importance of having a knowledgeable relationship with money. Personally, I am finding more ways in which I can spend more time with my husband Carl, our family and our two chocolate labs. What does this award mean to you? This award is an honour and privilege to receive. I have been blessed with a very unique gift that allows me to help educate and counsel people to have a profound long-term relationship with their finances for their lifetimes. This is my passion and my purpose. Changing people’s lives for the better and giving hope where there was no hope before is what motivates me each and every day. There is no cookie-cutter approach for this. It must be unique and detailed to what our individual goals are. This award validates the integrity and attention to detail we give to each of our clients, that we have the privilege of working with. It is a long-term journey and as our lives change daily, our plans need to adapt daily as well. We need clarity and a clear vision to create the life path we want personally and financially. Having respect for money and hard work to build, protect it, spend it and pass it along for your legacy is so precious and so important. We have a responsibility to ourselves and those we love. This award is a true honour and compliment to my Copia Team and the clients we serve. It’s priceless!
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 33 Tax Adviser of the Year USA About Marna Ricker Marna is EY’s Americas Vice Chair of Tax overseeing the tax strategy and all client services leading a talented group of more than 18,000 people across the United States, Canada, Central and South America, Israel, and the Caribbean. During her 28-year tenure, she has held various leadership roles, including most recently as the US-Central Tax Leader. In her client service roles, Marna’s experience includes assisting multinational companies in global tax transformation efforts, optimizing International structuring as well as tax compliance and reporting. She engages and inspires her team to provide distinctive client experiences and create digitally enabled services. Marna is a transformational leader who is passionate about authentic leadership development and building high-performing collaborative teams. She proudly promotes diversity, inclusiveness, and anti-discriminatory initiatives. Marna is a member of the EY Americas Operating Executive, which drives strategy for the Americas member firms, as well as the US Executive Committee, which is the governing body for the US firm. RECOGNITION • Bronze Stevie Awards winner in the category of “Woman of the Year” (2021) • Silver Best in Biz Award winner in the category of “Executive of the Year” (2021) • Silver Women in Business and the Professions World Awards winner in the category of “Female Executive of the Year” (2021) • Finance Monthly Taxation Award winner in the category of Tax Advisory Firm of the Year (2021) • The EY Global Tax Platform, an end-to-end platform that supports all tax business solutions, won three Stevie Awards in 2021. CURRENT AND PREVIOUS AFFILIATIONS • Board Member, Junior Achievement • Member, AICPA • Member, Minnesota Society of CPAs • Member, New York Society of CPAs Americas Vice Chair of Tax Services, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) www.ey.com Marna Ricker
Firstly - please give us an overview of BKPS Ltd, the work that you do, your clients and the services you offer. What are your core values and goals? How do these contribute to your overall success? Have these core values changed at all since your establishment? BKPS do compliance work like statutory accounts and tax returns but we believe accountants should be far more than a "distress purchase". We believe we help our clients to get the most from their businesses to achieve their personal goals for themselves and their families. Businesses can be a wonderful thing, providing goods and services to their customers they may not have had if it weren't for the business, provide regular income for its employees, and of course a good life for the owner and their family. Successful businesses also become a key part of the community, paying taxes, business rates and sometimes contributions to charities and the local community. We provide strong and extensive advisory services to clients to enable startups to survive and grow, established businesses to get to the next level and help business owners achieve their personal ambitions through their business. What kind of clients do you serve and how do you approach them? How do you differentiate yourself from potential competitors? What is, essentially, your unique selling point? BKPS have clients all over England - we have tradesmen, consultants, hospitality (pubs and restaurants), engineering businesses developing underground tunnelling excavators, consultants, haulage companies. Over 90% of our clients are referrals from existing clients. Our USP are our advisory services. Like all accountants, BKPS provide bookkeeping, payroll, compliance work etc. but unlike most accountants, we provide additional services to make our clients' lives easier and give their businesses greater chances of success. We work with our clients to drill down into the numbers. We start with what the business owner wants from their business, lifestyle, retire earlier, spend more time with their family. Then we look at what the business has to deliver to achieve the business owners personal goals, then we look at where their business is now and devise a strategy through Performance Measurement & Improvement (PMI) analysis to get the business to where it needs to be to satisfy the business owners goals. FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 34 Chartered Management Accountants Firm of the Year United Kingdom An Interview with Mel Storer, Managing Director at BKPS Ltd. www.bkps.uk.com BKPS
What role do your staff play in the success of your rm? What qualities do you look for when recruiting new talent? How would you describe your internal culture and how does it contribute to your company’s success? Our team are all Client Relationship Managers. Clients have a dedicated named CRM contact. We invest a lot in training our team, both professional qualifications and practical in-house training to ensure consistency and high-quality service. We all enjoy our work and genuinely want our clients to be successful so we are probably more informal and approachable than other accountants but we never let our service standards fall. Can you detail any speci c industrybased challenges you are facing now and may do in the near future? By extension, if applicable, what impact has COVID-19 had on your industry or operations? Were there any unexpected bene ts or advantages to the situation you found yourself in? The accountancy profession is facing huge challenges from the digitisation of bookkeeping and taxation. Business owners are being actively encouraged to do their own accounts and tax returns because it is "so easy". This is not true as there are rules to follow and this will be a problem in a few years when businesses get their bookkeeping or tax returns wrong and will need help sorting them out. But because the accountancy profession is now competing on price, BKPS have opted to become more proactive with clients and o er business advisory services such as our Virtual Finance Director package with budgets, revised forecasts and variance analysis, benchmarking performance against competitors, sensitivity analysis for "what if" scenarios, business valuation improvement etc. BKPS have also co-authored a book - "Simple Steps to Build a Better Business". During the pandemic, we kept clients updated with monthly newsletters and our BKPS app updates, we have had a fee freeze for 18 months and gave clients who were directly impacted by COVID restructured fee packages. Do you have any plans for 2022 and beyond that you would like to share with our readers? BKPS will continue with both professional and in-house training for the team. We will continue to update and invest in technology. We will continue to review our clients' needs and respond to those needs wherever possible. We will continue to invest a lot in our advisory services as we believe this will be the most help for our clients to have successful businesses to achieve their personal dreams. The BKPS mission statement is "We enable our clients to ful l their personal and business dreams". BKPS will continue to invest in our team and technology to ensure we live up to our mission statement. Any final words? BKPS do compliance work to ensure our clients ful l their business legal obligations and pay the minimum legal tax due, that is a given. But it is our great relationship with our clients and advisory work that sets us apart. We are very good at what we do, we know that and our clients know that. But we are good at what we do because we work hard and invest heavily in training and technology. FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 35 "We are very good at what we do, we know that and our clients know that."
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 37 Coaching Adviser of the Year Bulgaria About Celine Bolard Celine Bolard became CEO of Groupama two Bulgarian entities in 2011 but long before her rise as the youngest CEO among Groupama entities, she was already a high performing leader with a focus on the development of people and society at international level. With an initial degree as an Agronomist engineer, she started a career in strategy consulting with German origin group Roland Berger where she had the first opportunities to design plans for development strategies of international companies. After getting married, her career made a radical switch towards sustainability through a mission of two years in Vietnam with an international NGO to support local agriculture projects carried by women village associations. During that time, she affirmed her interest in sustainability which led her naturally to the field of insurance as key sector that helps people and communities to grow stronger together. She joined Groupama in 2005 first at a marketing role and it was here that she was recognized for her leadership capabilities and quickly progress to several managerial positions. Back to prestigious ESSEC business school in 2008, she graduated from Business Management degree with honors before moving into a next step career in Bulgaria. She became deputy CEO in 2009 of a new acquired subsidiaries with the aim of integrating the subsidiary towards the group culture and consolidating ethical insurance business in one of the poorest European insurance countries. She eventually took the helm of both life and non-life insurance companies of Groupama in Bulgaria to lead them towards sustainable growth. In 2020, she co- founded wecoach.team with a Russian and a Bulgarian associates to offer innovative programs for coaching for managers and executives in Europe. With a proprietary technology and a unique framework of leadership competencies, the program is designed to allow extreme customization and accountability during the coaching journey. About Groupama Group Groupama Zastrahovane and Zhivotozastrahovane are the two Bulgarian entities of Groupama Group a major insurance player in Europe. With €14.4 billion in combined premium income and Shareholders’ equity: €10.7 billion, Groupama insurance Mutuals services its 11.5 mio customers worldwide and generates yearly €177 million net income. The group's identity is built on Groupama's agricultural origins and its territorial roots anchor it in the everyday reality of its members and customers. While mutualism promotes the principles of proximity, solidarity, and responsibility by its very nature, Groupama’s agricultural roots provide it with a unique reality: A pioneer of engagement in the territories, Groupama’s mutualism places engagement and commitment at the very center of its mission which is helping people living their lives with confidence. CEO Groupama Zastrahovane -Zhivotozastrahovane, entities of Groupama Group www.groupama.com | www.groupama.bg Celine Bolard
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 39 Intellectual Property Adviser of the Year Germany About Alexandra Dellmeier Alexandra Dellmeier is an Attorney at Law, Certified Intellectual Property Attorney (Germany), specialising in the field of intellectual property law (IP), and founder of LexDellmeier. Prior to starting LexDellmeier in 2009, she was an equity partner at another renowned German IP firm with 100 people. There, she was responsible for the prosecution and litigation of large trademark and design portfolios for a number of well-known brands. During those years, she also had the opportunity to work on incredibly interesting and prestigious patent and utility model litigation cases. That is where she made the link between non-technical and technical protection and became a “true” IP attorney. Another milestone at the very beginning of Ms Dellmeier’s career was her in-house position at merchandising Media GmbH / ProSiebenSat.1 AG, a German TV station and merchandising company. Heading the art licensing and IP department at a multi-national company significantly broadened her horizon and understanding - especially with respect to business issues on a global basis. About LexDellmeier Intellectual Property Law Firm Experienced – Innovative – Client-oriented – LexDellmeier Intellectual Property Law Firm in Munich offers innovative and creative in-depth IP counselling in Germany, throughout Europe and with support of a network of international associates on a worldwide basis. The attorneys at law at LexDellmeier IP Law Firm offer firstclass expertise in the fields of trademark, design, and copyright law, as well as licensing and IP related unfair competition law. Individuals, start-ups, universities, SME's and large corporations need expert counselling in order to produce strong, successful and enforceable IP rights. LexDellmeier offers experienced, effective and proactive IP counseling including evaluation, clearing and prosecution of trademarks and designs on a cost-effective basis. In addition, LexDellmeier is known for litigating complex cases also before the European General Court (EGC) and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg. Besides offering legal advice, we offer counseling through one or more of our experts online via Teams, Zoom, Cisco etc. or on-site at our headquarters in Munich, Germany. We also advise on how to set up an IP department, implement necessary IP processes and respective IP software. In addition, we offer to review IP portfolios, give strategic advice on how to broaden and strengthen IP rights and point out possible cost savings without losing protection. Through collaboration and sharing of know-how, we train our clients to be successful. Our Vision We strive to be the best IP boutique law firm. Our national and international clients value our remarkable competence, flexibility as well as creativity and have confidence and faith in us. Our highly qualified staff supports clients and understands their needs and business. Due to the fact that our attorneys at law have either overseas degrees or work experience, we can cope with diverse requirements and cultural aspects according to highest international standards on a worldwide basis. Our Mission “Coming together is a beginning, Staying together is progress, Working together is success.” Henry Ford Founder, LexDellmeier Intellectual Property Law Firm Nymphenburger Str. 23, 80335 Munich, Germany | Tel: +49 (0) 89 / 55 87 987 - 0 Fax: +49 (0) 89 / 55 87 987 - 20 | info@lexdellmeier.com | www.lexdellmeier.com Alexandra Dellmeier
Europe
FINANCE MONTHLY GLOBAL AWARDS 2021 www.finance-monthly.com 43 Financial Consulting Firm of the Year Greece Joint Efforts Innovations- 4 SYNERGIES T: +30 6944 410 915 Ioannis Sinanidis About Joint Efforts Innovations Business Intelligence is transforming the way business is done. Information’s are remain the number one factor on every aspect of our lives. Our AI-powered data analytics platform for business intelligence provides comprehensive data visualization and analysis, without any coding or programming, to enable faster and better decision-making. Business intelligence (BI) is a critical component for any organization that wants to stay ahead of the competition. With the help of our industry-leading business intelligence consulting firm, they can uncover insights, optimize their business processes, and achieve new levels of efficiency in their operations. Joint Efforts Innovations- 4 SYNERGIES Business intelligence consulting firm specializing in churn analysis, customer retention, and lead scoring. We help our clients build a churnresistant business with a high ROI by working with a high level of confidentiality. We help businesses navigate the complex world of data and analytics. We combine our expertise in business intelligence, data science, and forecasting to deliver innovative solutions tailored to the specific needs of our clients. Our team has extensive experience with a wide range of industries, including retail, healthcare, financial services, and more. We have the ability to analyze data and turn it into actionable insights is one of the most crucial skills for a business. That's where we come in! We help companies make better decisions by leveraging a suite of powerful analytics capabilities. With a team of experienced consultants, we work with clients to solve their toughest business challenges by analyzing data and providing insights that result in real business results. By establishing the correct partnerships through markets inside information’s we bringing together business and secure the development plans with a way of minimizing the required resources and efforts. Business market information’s set our development projects to be appointed to the best possible synergies on the highest level of efficiency. We make your business data talk. Our team of data scientists and analysts can answer all your questions on how to use data to make more informed decisions. We also provide solutions to help you with anything from forecasting to dashboards, and everything in between. Avoid spending resources and starting from zero, we have already evaluated for you partnerships and realistic market goals. As strategic advisory firm we are an invaluable asset to any business but we are differentiating on the approach. We remain close to our goal, to provide the correct and accurate information’s about every synergy and partnership and we maintain a low profile without big Ads and a flashing internet presence. We commit as a firm but in personal as well. An approach that is missing nowadays. Overall we're a strategic advisory firm focused to help our clients by providing them with a variety of services that help them identify, assess, and develop new opportunities. Our services span across four core practices: Strategy, Advisory, Corporate Finance, and Management Consulting. Our firm focuses exclusively on business development actions when the execution of complexity projects needs the merge of : the top management, the financial, the legal, the accountant and the sales sectors to partner and act together, such as (M&A and NPL projects). Every sector needs different information to evaluate the reliability and the correct plan execution process. We work with companies looking to grow their revenue and become more competitive in their market, and help them translate their business objectives into actionable strategies. Our methodology enables organizations to maximize the profitability of every customer interaction. Most important, we've helped businesses become more profitable by assessing their business needs, developing a customized plan of action, and implementing the plan. Customized solutions will maximize your revenue, and most important will reduce business-related risks. Our portfolio includes, research Institutions, start-ups, SME's, and large multinational corporations when on the other site our credentials comes through our accreditations as authorized Advisors from International Financial Institutions, E.U. Commission, State Authorities and Consultation Body Memberships.
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