Sarah Giles
WHO I HELP
While I don’t have a direct client-facing role, my work ensures that every client receives exceptional service. From successful families building their wealth over time to those managing the complexities of financial settlements, I support the team in helping our clients achieve peace of mind at every stage of life.
HOW I HELP
I work behind the scenes to ensure that the administrative and technical teams supporting our financial planners operate seamlessly. This involves managing day-to-day operations, streamlining processes, and embracing technology to make sure we continue to meet client needs as the industry evolves.
“SMOOTH OPERATIONS, BETTER RESULTS.”
Sarah Giles is the Head of Operations based in our Leeds office. With years of experience in financial services, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge to her role, having worked across various areas of financial planning—starting in administrative roles and moving through technical and advisory positions before stepping into management. Her broad experience allows her to have a unique perspective on how to improve operational processes and the client experience.
Sarah’s focus is on ensuring that the support teams operate as smoothly as possible, allowing the financial planners to focus on delivering excellent client outcomes. She is committed to driving continuous improvement, ensuring that the business adapts to changes in the industry.
BUILDING TRUST AND INTEGRITY
“Trust and integrity are the foundations of any great working relationship, whether with clients or colleagues. In my role, it’s important that everyone feels comfortable coming to me with any issue, knowing I will listen and support them. This is especially important as a manager. I always strive to create an environment where my team knows I have their back.
Clients expect excellence, and as a team, we deliver that by working together to ensure every interaction leaves clients feeling supported and confident at all life stages.”
MAKING A LASTING DIFFERENCE
“The best part of working in the financial planning industry is seeing the difference we make to clients lives and how decisions they make are driven by the work we do with them. In the best scenarios, we see clients expand their bucket list as they have the ability to focus on the things they enjoy even more.
When it comes to working relationships, the most satisfying part is knowing that you’ve made a difference. This can be as simple as always being there to listen and support them, but also being part of their development, whether that’s expanding their knowledge in certain areas or building confidence to go on and do greater things.”
DRIVING CHANGE WITH CONFIDENCE
“I’m confident in challenging the status quo, pushing boundaries, and encouraging my team to think differently. However, it’s about finding the right way to be disruptive—there’s a fine line between pushing for change and knowing when to listen. It’s important to strike that balance and always look for ways to improve, even if we ultimately choose a different path.”
WELCOMING CHALLENGES
“The ever-evolving financial services industry presents challenges, but I welcome them. The greatest challenge is keeping up with constant changes—whether in legislation, new technology, or market conditions. We have to be adaptable, stay informed, and continually review our processes to ensure we’re delivering the best for our clients. Embracing change is key to our success.
Technology is at the heart of our operations, and I aim to ensure we use the latest tools to improve efficiency and service. Tools like DocuSign have been a game changer, but I also believe in balancing tech with personal interaction. It’s important that we don’t lose the human touch, whether that’s through face-to-face meetings or a simple phone call.”
THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT
“I am excited about the future, for both myself and AAB Wealth. Personally, I’m looking forward to furthering my career and exploring new ways to contribute to the teams success. The future holds a lot of potential for us, and I’m thrilled to be part of AAB during its exciting growth journey.”
OUR PEOPLE COME FIRST
“Nothing is more important than our people. We spend a lot of time at work, and whilst I am passionate about the job itself, it makes all the difference working in a supportive and positive environment. At AAB Wealth, we work hard, we support each other, and we enjoy what we do—even during challenging times. Having the right culture attracts the right people, and that’s the foundation for long-term success.”
Douglas Martin
Who I help
AAB Group- internal and external stakeholders
How I help
Collaboration. Delivering on the group’s growth aspirations
“Don’t wait for the right opportunity; create it”
Doug Martin is the Chief Commercial Officer at AAB Group. In his role, he is responsible for driving the inorganic growth strategy across the group. Having advised on over 400 client deals Doug utilises his extensive Mergers & Acquisition knowledge to help the group to achieve our strategic growth plans.
He provides internal and external stakeholders with guidance on our growth strategy setting out how we’ll achieve our goals and outlining the steps we’ll take to get there.
A strategic focus
“Something I pride myself on is my ability to think strategically and provide insights. A lot of my role involves building out our existing business units and helping the group to expand into new locations. To successfully achieve this, I need to identify and execute transaction opportunities that arise. By approaching this strategically I’m able to create a plan and collaborate alongside key stakeholders within the group to achieve our goals.”
Ambitious growth plans
“We have ambitious growth plans in terms of organic and inorganic growth. The rapid growth journey we have been on since securing investment has been incredible. A big part of my role is the development of our commercial business strategy. I couldn’t do this without the fantastic people I get to work alongside.
Ahead of the curve
“In my role, it’s important to be on the front foot where possible. That means, bringing market insights, recognising opportunities that align with our long-term goals and identifying potential challenges before they arise.
There are of course times when an opportunity crops up when we least expect it- we’re unfortunately not able to plan for everything. However, we don’t allow this to become a blocker. Through balance and flexibility, we’re able to easily pivot and capitalise on opportunities.”
Tremendous opportunities
“The firm has undergone so many changes throughout my 20+ years here. Our recent growth journey has accelerated the pace of change. As we’ve expanded the business, we have increased our service offering and increased our headcount all with the goal of providing better service for our clients. . However, the one thing that never changes is at the core of our outstanding group our people. That hasn’t changed since 2002. It’s what we’ve used to drive our business forward consistently and continually.
Why are we on this journey? We want to create unrivalled opportunities for our people and help our clients achieve their goals. Bringing incredible businesses and people into the group helps us to create cross-location career opportunities. It also helps us to deliver more services for our clients, supporting them where they are and providing them with top talent to help them achieve their goals.”
The future is exciting.
“It’s amazing to be part of this outstanding team and the future is incredibly exciting . Seeing how the hard work and dedication of our fantastic people continues to rise to new challenges and pursue emerging opportunities is great to be a part of. . I can’t wait to see what’s next for us.”
Vikki Venerus
WHO I HELP
Everyone within the Wealth team.
HOW I HELP
Recruitment. People Training and Development. Operations. Compliance.
“My passion is people.”
Vikki Venerus is Head of Risk and Compliance for Wealth. She has been a part of the company since day one, when she joined as an Administrator. So has seen it blossom from nothing into the successful business it is today.
Based in Aberdeen, Vikki oversees the day-to-day operations, while taking responsibility for compliance – a crucial task in such a highly regulated sector. But undoubtedly the part that she enjoys the most is growing and developing the team – a role which takes in recruitment, training, mentoring, coaching and wellbeing. She’s dedicated to bringing on the next generation of financial planners – and it looks like nothing will stop her.
FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
“Culture is always at the front of my mind, especially when I’m recruiting. I see plenty of people who are really interested in numbers, analysis and the tax side of what we do. But that’s not enough. In a job like this, you also have to be a people person.”
Yes, the numbers are important. But I always think the most important factor is how that helps clients, because ultimately that’s our end goal. Building relationships, delivering sound financial advice and giving clients peace of mind. That’s what it’s really all about.”
SUPPORTING THE TEAM
“Whatever my team need, I’m there for them – whether that’s guidance, support, direction or empowerment. I don’t expect them to check in with me on everything – they can just get on with the job themselves. But I’ve put strong systems and controls in place to make sure that nothing falls through the net.
Having said that, I always make sure I check in with my team. Just to make sure they’re ok. Wellbeing is so important; if we don’t get that right, there’s no way we can do a good job for our clients. And it’s really important to me that everyone feels like they have a voice. Because in a team, everyone’s views are important.”
EMBRACING THE FUTURE
“A big challenge in our industry has always been the technology side. Getting tech to speak to tech. But compared to a lot of other financial planning firms, I think we’re very progressive. In fact, you could say we’re early adopters. If there’s anything coming down the track, we’re always open to finding out more, especially if it will lead to more efficient ways of working. Anything that makes our clients’ journey a little bit smoother, like being paperless or using tools like MS Teams or DocuSign, is worthwhile.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
“I came into the business as an administrator many years ago. But soon I wanted to know the ‘Why’. Why was I doing what I was being asked to do? That’s what drove me to study, do my exams and become a qualified Chartered Financial Planner. Now my mission is to give that opportunity to other people.
Nothing makes me happier than seeing people grow and progress. In fact, nearly everyone on my team is studying for one qualification or another. Being able to bring good people through from your own talent pool and see the future open up for them is just incredible.”
Andrew Dines
WHO I HELP
Individuals. Business Owners. Oil and Gas Executives.
HOW I HELP
Financial Planning. Wealth Planning. Legacy Planning.
“FOCUS ON THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL.”
Andrew Dines is Head of the Wealth team. Based in Aberdeen, his role is two-fold. Firstly, he is part of the leadership team, providing strategic direction to help the business reach its objectives.
Secondly, as a financial planner, Andrew works directly with individuals, discovering what their own aims and ambitions are. Then he helps them create a plan to live their desired lifestyle, without fear of running out of money. He’s a people-person who likes nothing better than working with clients and doing his bit as part of a team.
WORKING TOGETHER
“I work with a wide range of different clients. They come to me because they want to sell their business, have money to invest or want to start drawing down income from their pensions. Some are just looking for a better place to grow their cash.
Whatever the reason, it’s essential that the relationship works and feels like a comfortable fit. Potentially, we’re going to meet up every six months for the rest of our lives. So it really helps if we actually like each other! And of course, having trust is absolutely crucial.”
A LIFETIME OF SUPPORT
“My clients are mostly in their 50s. They’ve forged their career and probably built up some capital, but they’ve still got a lot of things going on – weddings, grandchildren, retirements, travel. So what they want to know is whether they can do all the things they want to do without fear of running out of money.
So fundamentally, my work is all about offering support through life-changing events – and all the tax planning, legacy planning, and investment management that goes with it. And that’s a difficult thing to put a tangible cost or value on. So when clients want to introduce me to their family or friends, that’s a really big compliment. And actually, the main way we’ve grown our business.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
“Often I’ll suggest something to one of my clients – perhaps something they’ve never even considered before. And seeing them act on that and thrive because of it is something that really makes me happy. Sometimes, they might be thinking about leaving a legacy for loved ones, and I’ll say why don’t you do it now? To actually see people get the benefit of the money, often when they need it most, is so much more fulfilling than sticking it away in a trust until after you’ve gone. It’s helping make things like that happen that’s really satisfying for me.”
HELPING YOU LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE
“The norm for most financial advisers is to take their clients’ money and invest it. Then, in a year’s time see whether it’s gone up or gone down and move it around a bit. I don’t work like that. I believe it’s better to make a plan and stick to it, and let the markets do the work. If you keep your costs low, remain disciplined and diversify, that will allow you to have a successful investment experience.
Anyway, I don’t want to base my relationship with a client on getting a certain return in a year. Because the moment you don’t achieve it, that’s the moment when the relationship starts to break down. My approach is to focus on things you can control. Focus on what you want to do, how much you want to spend, and what you want to spend it on. And then come up with a plan to make it all work.”
Ian Campbell
WHO I HELP
Private Individuals. Business Owners. High Net Worth Individuals.
HOW I HELP
Wealth Planning. Cash Flow Modelling. Financial Planning. Pension Planning. Investment Planning. Cascading Wealth.
“I help people achieve their goals.”
Ian Campbell is the Head of Financial Planning within our Wealth team. Calm and level-headed, he works with clients to build their own unique financial plan. One that will help them discover how to build their wealth, plan for retirement and cascade their wealth onto loved ones.
Based in our Aberdeen office, his aim is to become a trusted adviser, building lasting relationships that often extend decades – or even into the next generation. And his ultimate goal – to help his clients get the most out of life.
MUTUAL RESPECT
“Professional but fun. That’s the type of relationship I want to build with my clients. I want us to enjoy each other’s company. To get on well. And of course, I want them to trust in the advice that I give.
I’ve worked with some of my clients for over a decade, and I hope I’ll be around to help them for many more years to come. And hopefully, even move on to support their kids in future years too. I’m not in this just to provide my clients with a one-off bit of advice and then disappear. I want to be by their side as they take each important step in life.”
BUILDING CONFIDENCE
“I don’t think many of my clients come to me because they want to build a financial plan. Their call is usually triggered by another event. That could be retirement, an inheritance, or a company sale. But once we start talking, they soon begin to realise that this one event is actually part of a much bigger picture. And that’s when they start to see the benefit of building a financial plan and all the peace of mind that it can bring.
There’s nothing better than helping someone see that they can achieve their goals. Or retire even earlier than they thought. I’ve never had someone come back and say, ‘Oh, I wish I was still working.’ And brilliantly, I often see them a year on after ditching their stressful job, and I can actually see that they look so much healthier and happier. So that’s immensely satisfying.”
EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY
“At AAB, we’re progressive and very entrepreneurial. Maybe because we’ve got quite a young team compared to others in our industry. I’m always ready to embrace new technology. Like using online client portals instead of clients having to bring in sheets and sheets of paper. Or the way I identify clients for anti-money-laundering purposes. I send them a text, and they upload a selfie – then our software matches them to their passport or driving licence just to prove it’s them. Stuff like that helps me provide a service that’s totally efficient and makes the client experience as enjoyable as possible. You probably wouldn’t get that from your traditional IFA.”
PART OF THE FAMILY
“There’s no greater accolade than clients wanting to refer you. And yes, it’s great if they mention you to colleagues, but even more powerful if someone says, ‘Would you mind speaking to my dad’, or ‘can you help my son’. If someone introduces you to a family member, it’s a pretty big sign that they trust you to provide a good and honest service. I talk a lot about bringing confidence, giving reassurance and peace of mind, but that’s really hard to quantify. But a client once said to me, ‘I’m always worrying, but after I come to see you, I always feel so much better – because I know that everything is going to be ok.’ I think that speaks volumes.”
