Lisa Conway-Hughes is a Chartered Financial Adviser and a Fellow of The Personal Finance Society. Lisa joined the financial industry 18 years ago and in October 2020 was voted Financial Adviser of the Year – London by Professional Adviser Magazine – WIFA.
Lisa, also known as Miss Lolly, writes, speaks, tweets, and blogs on all things money related. Lisa is passionate about making financial education open to all and loves taking the jargon out of the financial world. Lisa’s book, Money Lessons, was published by Penguin in 2019. As well as having a regular column in Money Week, Lisa also features as a money expert in the female press, newspapers and news channels. Lisa is regularly invited as a guest speaker at both corporate events and private members clubs.
What do you believe are the most important qualities or attributes that a successful business leader should possess, and how do you embody them in your leadership style?
A desire to always be learning – I set time aside each week to learn something new, take regular coaching to improve me and my business. All employees have regular quarterly meetings to ensure that they are developing themselves and setting goals for the following quarter. Compassion – for staff and clients creates a collaborative working environment and a client centric business.Hard work – I hope to always be leading from the front and striving to work smarter and to improve efficiencies
Can you describe a significant challenge or setback you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it to achieve your goals?
The biggest challenge for me is always investing ahead to have the right staff for future growth. I have had to learn to be brave to invest early in order to give the person time to be trained and gain confidence in the role before the need arises. In a rapidly changing business landscape, how do you stay informed about industry trends and adapt your strategies to remain competitive?
What is your approach to building and leading high-performing teams, and how do you motivate your team members to achieve their best potential?
My team focus is on flexibility and ensuring everyone has a clear understanding of what they need to do within the team. Staff are then free (around certain parameters) to balance their life and job in a way that suits them. I trust all staff and my goal is to help them create a role that interests them, pushes them and fits in with their personal goals.
How do you balance short-term financial goals with long-term strategic planning for the growth and sustainability of your business?
My focus is always on profit and setting aside money for future growth. Clear targets are set to build in the short term and long term needs of the business. These targets are monitored daily, analysis is done each week to look at the main drivers to check we don’t veer off track.
Can you share an example of a major decision you had to make that had a significant impact on your organisation? What was the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience?
My biggest decision is currently work in progress and I have already learnt a lot about my “why”, my resilience and ability to focus on the now but also set aside time for big future goals.
What role does innovation play in your business strategy, and how do you foster a culture of innovation within your organisation?
My industry is not very innovative, I am however very interested in using tech to drive efficiency. We are an admin service based business and so constant tweaking of our processes to reduce time per task.
How do you handle ethical dilemmas and make difficult decisions when they arise in your role as a business leader?
I would like to believe that I am driven by doing the right thing regardless of the financial impact. Financial services is regulated and this would be expected behaviour that is focused on consumer outcomes and avoiding foreseeable harm.
Looking to the future, what are your top priorities and goals for your business, and what strategies do you plan to implement to achieve them?
My top priority is to make financial advice for all and to make a financial education accessible.
