My name’s Ed Tomlinson and I’ve been at Irwin Mitchell for 16 years. I head up our Financial Planning team.
The best thing about my job is being able to support our clients and helping them to move forward with their lives. The clients we work with are extremely inspiring. They may have been involved in a road traffic accident or medical negligence and need financial security to protect their future.
It’s a fantastic feeling to be part of their journey, and it’s great when a client is genuinely pleased and thankful for what you’ve done.
Journey Of Growth
I was approached to have an interview here and I honestly thought all my dreams had come true. It was a great time to set a new trajectory on my career, and I still work with the boss who interviewed me. We’ve grown the business together.
I started as a trainee financial planner. Over 16 years, I’ve progressed to a senior financial planner and I now head up a team of ten financial planners. Over that time, we’ve grown so much. When I joined, we had £100 million of assets under management. Last year, we managed to break through £1 billion of assets under management.
Making sure we do the best job for our clients means we always need to be at the top of our game. We need to have the latest knowledge, the latest information, and the latest technology, so we can be expert advisors to our clients.
Sometimes it can be challenging because you want to do the very best. You know your clients have a deadline and you don’t want to disappoint them. This often means you’re working the hours you need to work to deliver a positive outcome. The biggest challenge is the pressure we put on ourselves.
Work can be challenging and getting the balance right is tough at times. I’m much better than I used to be, and we have a company who stands behind us and wants us to get it right.
The flexible by choice policy has allowed me to work in the right place at the right time, and I’m trusted to do this. It’s also helped me to spend more time with my family. I have three young children and we’re always doing some form of sport, whether that’s gymnastics, netball, or tennis.
The firm’s wellbeing day has also been valuable. Having a day away from your desk, doing what makes you happy, really allowed me to rest and recharge. I could return to work and perform to the best of my ability and deliver the best service possible – that’s the human touch that matters to me.
A Family Environment
My team have been on a journey together and we have a real family environment. We work closely and always support one another, whether that’s inside or outside of work.
Having great relationships with colleagues allows us to provide a rounded and high-level of service to our clients. Being aligned as a team means you're all working for your client in the same way, so they only have to give their story once.
Creating A Stronger Business
We have a very strong and inclusive culture here. You can be who you want to be, and this is celebrated and valued. Being diverse and inclusive brings great value to our business, making it stronger and a much better place to work.
I’ve recently been appointed as a senior sponsor for the firm’s diversity and inclusion work. I’ve also been involved with the IM Able group, which is a diversity group focusing on disability issues. We aim to make sure that everybody who works at Irwin Mitchell with a disability can bring their very best to work and enhance our business. We do this through making adjustments, so their working environment is optimised for them.
Join Our Team
If you’re considering a career at Irwin Mitchell, I’d definitely say give it a go. I’ve been here for so long and I still love it. We have a great network of supportive colleagues and we’re inclusive and value every individual. We’re also looked after through the flexible working policy and wellbeing days.
Read Ed's professional profile
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