Would you bravely steer away from a conventional career path and choose one of your own makings? Most people would startle when asked to make this tricky choice, but those who decide to pave the way for themselves have a great potential to help others achieve their potential, whilst simultaneously shaking up whole industries to get them future-ready.
Well, this is the story of Nigel Green, the Founder and CEO of deVere Group, who leads from the front to fulfill his overarching mission of assisting clients to reach their long-term financial goals.
For over four decades, Nigel has supported and encouraged people with a unique management style cultivating a group of individuals who benefit from regular personal contact right from the top.
Insights Success caught up with Nigel and talked about how his years of experience make him one of the most influential leaders in FinTech.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Briefly describe your professional journey up until now.
The path less travelled by a professional international nomad.
That’s how I’d sum up my professional journey. It’s been an atypical career for sure, with many highs and many challenges along the way.
Few people that I know at least have built their own globe-spanning, successful financial services organisation with more than 100 legal entities from scratch within two decades.
I started on this ‘path less travelled’ when I kicked off my career as a financial adviser in Britain and worked my way up to become top manager, after leading successful teams in the UK for a number of years before going global. Then, confident that I could provide a better service for clients, we set up deVere’s first office in Hong Kong 20 years ago and have grown considerably since then to become one of the largest independent financial advisory, asset management, and fintech organisations in the world.
What challenges did you face along the way?
One of the principal challenges I faced along the way has been finding the right people.
A good leader needs great people. For me, it’s not about your age, your gender, your nationality, your race, or your sexuality. It’s about your dedication and energy, a willingness to learn, and great communication skills.
Another of the principal challenges has been to stay at the top once you’re there. Of course, hard work, expertise, and commitment are non-negotiable, but the prime way to stay at the helm is to constantly adapt and evolve.
The finance industry is extremely competitive. Regulations and client expectations are always changing, so to stay at the top, you have to keep improving and seeking new ways of doing things.
What significant impact have you brought to the FinTech industry?
Of course, we’ve seen radical changes in the financial services industry in recent years that have been driven by fintech. As such, deVere is constantly bringing first-of-their-kind fintech solutions to the market that have been highly sought-after by clients.
We maintain a client-centric focus on the demands of the tech-savvy and continue to grow our suite of innovative wealth tech products and services.
We’re also highly active within the media. As such, due to my commitment to and passion for fintech, I’ve become a high-profile advocate of the sector and in-demand by media outlets who want our thought leadership, and our regular comment and analysis looks at the future of finance.
Tell us about the deVere Group and its foundation pillar.
Put simply, deVere Group is a gamechanger. There is no other firm like us in the market today. We provide world-beating financial advice supported by groundbreaking digital solutions.
We work together with the best global institutions to ensure our clients have access to the best products. Our global presence is massive. We’re on every continent, and our principal focus is to seek a new level of excellence in this current digital age.
What is your take on technology’s importance, and how are you leveraging it?
The fintech revolution we’re seeing now is unstoppable, and its importance is paramount.
The financial services industry is experiencing fundamental change all because of fintech, and it’s happening at breakneck speed.
I believe this lightning advance in technology is immensely positive, and demand will continue to soar for a host of reasons.
Fintech boosts financial inclusion as it provides secure, convenient, and affordable global digital payments, making a life-changing difference to millions around the world. Fintech firms are literally helping people out of poverty and generating a more financially inclusive world.
In addition, an increasing number of people now require all their financial services needs to be managed via mobile or online. It’s about 24/7, anywhere access, and maintaining pace with shifting consumer habits.
Businesses also benefit as fintech offers firms pioneering ways to bolster the client experience, cut costs and meet regulatory requirements.
Fintech is helping to make our world ever more connected, allowing more people than ever to reach their financial goals. As the sector grows, it will continue to play a key role in forming the future of financial services to provide the smooth, contextualized experience demanded by consumers. I truly believe fintech will create a better tomorrow.
What will be the next significant change in the FinTech industry?
Artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, cryptocurrencies and blockchain, amongst other drivers, will transform the space like never before and will help revolutionise the financial industry.
The use of cryptocurrencies has risen dramatically as they have disrupted traditional financial systems.
Look at Bitcoin. More and more countries are looking to follow El Salvador and the Central African Republic and make the world’s largest cryptocurrency legal tender. Not forgetting the increasing number of central banks looking into CBDCs (central bank digital currencies).
As well as returns on investments, Bitcoin can also help people out of financial and political repression. It is often viewed as a shield against hyperinflation that can’t be manipulated by altering rates or stepping up quantitative easing. And, of course, the supply of Bitcoin can’t surpass 21 million, so in effect, it’s practically devaluation-proof.
Digital currencies are forcing new and traditional financial service providers to keep up with the innovation so they don’t miss out on this tech revolution that is continually gaining momentum.
The fact that nine crypto firms made this year’s Forbes magazine Fintech 50 list raising $6.5 billion in venture capital between them and most major financial institutions – including Wall Street giants – offer crypto services to their clients, says it all.
It confirms my belief that digital is the future.
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
This is a mammoth one.
One of our key future goals is to create the world’s first digital financial city, comprising our entire suite of cutting-edge tech solutions in one place.
In essence, our very own digital-based financial ecosystem.
We are the largest, most successful fintech provider in the industry. We are truly game-changing in regard to fintech development. And this is only the beginning. Watch this space…
What advice would you like to give the next generation of aspiring business leaders?
Essentially, the best advice I would offer to upcoming business leaders is to never stop trying to achieve your ambitions. Keep going. No matter what obstacles you come up against, keep moving forward and always maintain the highest expectations. Stamp out any negativity or criticism.
A successful leader has no time for that. Keep focused, communicate, and always keep learning. Learn every day. Boost your skills and knowledge every day. This will help you to reach, even exceed, your potential and stay on top.
