In this video Simon Brown, Partner, talks about how we are constantly seeking to improve our services to our clients, including by learning from others in the industry. We also hear from members of the Global Association of Independent Advisors, which we helped to found as an organisation where industry knowledge and best practice can be shared across the globe.

Simon Brown, Partner:

Hello I’m Simon Brown, a partner here at BpH Wealth. In many way the evolution of BpH has been informed by global best practice. We are never complacent and are constantly looking to improve our services by sharing and collaborating with our peers. I have met quarterly with five other UK advice firms for the last ten years, and so when the opportunity came to help set up something similar on a global basis through the founding of the Global Association of Independent Advisors (GAIA) It was natural for us to to become involved at the start.

TITLE: What are the benefits of a GAIA membership?

Nigel Stewart, Stewart Partners, Australia:

We formed GAIA in Boston in 2014 and it was a spin off from a number of advisors all around the world who had been in contact with one another and we felt that we all had something in common. We were all evidence-based we all acted as the ever-vigilant custodians of our client’s best-interests. We felt that by getting together and sharing systems, processes, research, we could all assist each other around the world.

Jeff Buckner, Plancorp, USA:

Everybody is comfortable sharing their intellectual property and making an effort to learn from each other as a way to improve client services and develop our own view as to what is the best practice in the industry.

Simon Brown, BpH Wealth:

In an increasingly globalised world, we recognise that some of our clients and their families live and work in different parts of the world. The relationship that we develop with GAIA firms allows us to work together for the mutual benefit of these clients to ensure continuity of care regardless of where they or their families choose to live.

Rodrigo Álamos S., Capital Advisors, Chile:

We are the first Fee-Only financial adviser and evidence-based investor in Chile. We always needed somehow someone to benchmark against; what level of service we were providing to our clients. That’s why we found GAIA, they’re a benchmark to compare against.

Brenda Bartlett, PWL Capital, Canada:

I think GAIA brings a seal of approval, it’s a higher standard and that is very reassuring to investors. It’s not that non-GAIA firms are not good, but there is a higher standard when you’re with GAIA.

David Andrew, Capital Partners, Australia:

We share a common belief that the client and their interests and priorities should be at the centre of everything we do. So we come together to share best practice and ideas from all over the world about how we can serve our clients better.

Jacob Wolt, Cambridge Partners, New Zealand:

It’s a requisite that you achieve the CEFEX (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence) accreditation. So CEFEX need to come through and look at your business to see if you comply with those global best standards.

Peter Mancell, Mancell Financial Group, Australia:

The Simple difference between GAIA firms and most financial advisers is that a GAIA firm will work for you. The advisers that work for the institutions are working for their shareholders, that’s the fundamental difference.

David Andrew, Capital Partners, Australia:

When you choose a GAIA Firm as a financial adviser, you can guarantee that your interests will be front and centre of everything that happens.