The initial introduction was actually via our accountants, as I was looking for somebody to help me move a legacy pension. Mark was very understanding and helpful. He wanted to understand me and my motivation better before actually jumping in and offering any advice. I liked his style more than anything else.

In terms of big life events, unfortunately I've recently passed the age of 55! So, we released a little bit of the tax-free lump sum from my pension. Obviously, there were conversations to be had about investing, regarding whether doing something very prudent, or a passion I share with Mark – spending it on shiny things.

I work in the city in finance, so there's a great reluctance to hand anything over to anybody else. You want to put your arms around everything. But as time has gone on, I’ve found that our interests seem very much aligned. I know it’s a cliche, but Bowmore are very good at getting a feel for what you want as an individual, rather than you just being a name and a ledger.

How would I describe Bowmore and our relationship? They really want to know the person who they're investing on behalf of, to understand their life, needs, family, work and everything about them. I mean, people bandy around the term “holistic”, but I think it is quite appropriate in this context. Working with a financial advisor can sound a very dour experience, but everybody there has a unique personality, is extremely friendly and they seem to have nice sense of camaraderie. I have a great deal of empathy, as I run a small firm myself. They've made themselves feel like part of my family, as it were.

I've said it to everybody, and to myself: all we can ask of anyone is that they try their best. And you absolutely get that feeling when you're dealing with Mark and everybody at the firm.

I'm very impressed at how conscientious and responsive to my needs they are. They seem genuinely concerned if they're not fulfilling some need or request, which is quite humbling to receive such consideration.

Three words to describe Mark and Bowmore would be extremely conscientious, diligent and responsive. You couldn't really ask for anything more from an advisor and someone to help you with your pension and finances.