Leaders List Interview: 60 seconds with David Lawrence, Kingswood

Citywealth caught up with David Lawrence the UK CEO of wealth management business Kingswood to find out what’s been keeping him busy since taking on the role at the end of 2020.

Tell Citywealth’s readers about your role.

I lead the UK business of Kingswood Holdings Ltd, a vertically integrated wealth management business with over c.£6bn of Assets under Influence and 60 advisers across 14 UK offices.

Kingswood provides financial advice and investment management activities to mass affluent and high net worth individuals, as well as entrepreneurs and families.

Our clients typically benefit from having a dedicated financial planner who will provide holistic financial advice across all areas and where appropriate, an investment manager as well.

For our high net worth clients, we offer a more tailored and personalised range of investment solutions to meet their needs and requirements.

Tell us about your typical client profile.

We have a wide range of clients but typically they have or are rapidly accumulating wealth and need a combination of financial advice and investment management expertise.

This often includes advising clients on inheritance tax planning, ensuring monies are passed on to their loved ones in the most appropriate way.    

What are your business priorities for 2021?

Having only taken up this role at the turn of the year, my priorities are to continue Kingswood’s growth story, through both the acquisition of financial planning and / or investment management firms and through organic activity.

I believe that the adviser or investment manager is critical to the client relationship, but I’d also like to set us on a course to increase the amount of digital access our clients can have to us and their investments. Giving our clients a great experience is the key as is providing transparency and value for money.

What challenges do your clients face and how are you helping your clients to overcome them?

The main challenges that our clients face are protecting and growing their wealth and then passing it onto their loved ones. Having a financial plan is a key part of helping them overcome this and this is where our advisers have strong expertise.  

Best and worst parts of your job?

The best part is spending time with both colleagues and clients. The worst part is the relentless internal committees and meetings (necessary as they are) that we are all faced with on a regular basis. We will all appreciate more face-to-face contact after the pandemic.

What is your most memorable work moment?

I have to say getting my role at Kingswood in the UK and leading an internationally focussed wealth manger was something I have always worked incredibly hard to achieve.

If you weren’t in the wealth management industry, what else might you be doing?

This may sound hard to believe, but I grew up in the country and have always wanted to be an arable farmer. I love the outdoors. Either that or simply enjoying cycling near my home in the Peak District.