Starting out in paraplanning

Caroline has worked in financial services for around twenty years, with 18 of those in various different roles in paraplanning. In 2019 she set up her own outsource paraplanning business, Sparrow Paraplanning providing support to a range of planners and businesses.

Caroline is an active member of the financial planning and paraplanning community. She has been a member of the Personal Finance Society Paraplanner Panel since this began in 2015. In 2018, she joined the Personal Finance Society Board of Directors and became the first paraplanner Vice President of the society in 2020.

Born and raised in Norway, Ben moved to England in 2010 to join the British Army as a Soldier. He served for 6 years and during his served he discovered his interest for financial services. In 2016 he decided finance was the career path for him, so he left the Army, and, after 2 years in an accounting and junior administrative role, he joined Nigel Grice & Associates as a trainee financial adviser. In 2020 he graduated the Openwork Academy after achieving the CII Level 4 Diploma.

He is the founder of Financial Adviser Mentorship group on Linkedin. The aim of the group is to provide assistance to new entrants and second careerists to land a role in financial services, more specifically within regulated financial advice.

Tony is a co-founder of IDEX, establishing the Financial Services division in 2008 and now boasting 20 years’ experience within the sector.

He is responsible for managing key client relationships in the Financial Services marketplace, where he is passionate about ensuring that the service level and employer brand promotion received from his team is consistent. Tony actively works on senior appointments across the UK & EMEA, predominantly on a retained /subscription basis, where he prides himself on leveraging his 20 years of market experience. His goal is not only to find the right individuals, but to help businesses build their employer brand and implement an efficient / effective recruitment process, utilising the up-to-date technology and market intelligence..

Outside of work, Tony often presents at New Model Advisor conferences, and can be seen doing stand-up comedy. He also manages an over 35s football team, with a number of ex professionals in the Midlands league.