AES International CEO Sam Instone Pushes for a Paradigm Shift in Financial Advice
(PRWEB UK) 28 November 2014 -- Sam Instone, CEO of international financial adviser AES International, calls on the financial ‘industry’ to shift from a company-centric approach to one that puts its customers first.
In a recent CEO roundtable called Gulf Expert Investor Forum held annually by International Adviser, Instone acknowledged a ‘trust deficit’ between consumers and financial intermediaries in the UAE: the current UAE financial services ‘industry’ resembled that of the 1990s in the UK, when firms’ primary goal was to make profits, heedless of the effect on their clients.
In his most recent article entitled, ‘International Financial Advice: Healing the Lack of Trust’, Instone stressed the need for financial firms to adapt to the globalising market, citing several companies that have used the client-centric approach and reaped the positive benefits of putting their clients first.
“The traditional offshore financial advice industry has proved itself lamentably and pathetically unable to embrace modern, ethical and professional standards in an increasingly globalised world,” says Instone.
He further emphasised the need for international financial advisers to strive for the conversion of the financial ‘industry’ into a ‘profession’, where they will be recognised as experts of the field and providers of client-specific advice and solutions to their customers instead of mere marketers.
“Our purpose is to pioneer the transformation of an old model/last generation 'industry' into a new model/next generation financial advice profession that adds demonstrable value to the clients we serve,” Instone stressed.
A former British Army Officer in the Household Cavalry Regiment, Instone started AES International and at first followed the business-as-usual model, believing it to be the standard way of providing services in the international financial services market. However, after only a short time working in international financial advice, Instone started to realise the issues, to challenge the status quo and to create a path where clients are put first and their best interests become the fundamental principles of doing business – not preyed on for financial firms’ benefit.
Despite AES being the opposite of the major players in the field, Instone believes that there are a lot of opportunities for any business entity to bridge the ‘trust deficit’, starting with providing honest advice to clients and telling them the truth about the complexity of finance.
Instone strongly encourages customers to be vigilant and unafraid to ask questions to their financial advisers. “If the adviser isn’t forthcoming, alarm bells should ring,” Instone advised.
AES International has been a fervent advocate of ‘positive change’ in the financial ‘industry’. In a field where most businesses are ‘Yes Men’, going with the flow of the ‘industry’, Instone braves the strong current to bring positive impact to the lives of their clients and those within their organisation.
For more information about AES International, please visit our website.
Rebecca Steele, AES International, http://aesinternational.com/, +971 4450 2517, [email protected]
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