New director appointed at Phil Anderson Financial Services

Phil Anderson, owner of north east-based Phil Anderson Financial Services, has recognised the contribution his longest serving employee has made to the Aberdeenshire company’s success by appointing her company director and gifting her five percent of his company.

Becky Shiel started working for Mr Anderson seven years ago as a part-time administrator. As the business grew she took on the role of full-time administrator before being appointed office manager just over two years ago.

Ms Shiel becomes the company’s second director with immediate effect. Her five-per-cent share of the company will entitle her to annual dividends and to a share of the proceeds if the company is ever sold.

She said she was shocked when Mr Anderson told her what he was doing.

“It came as a complete surprise,” she said. “It certainly wasn’t anything I was expecting or had ever asked for so once I got over the shock I was delighted with such a generous gesture. From the day I started working for Phil I treated it as though it was my own business because I really cared about it and wanted it to do well.

“Phil has been a great boss over the years and we’ve established a really good working relationship. I’m always honest with him if he asks my opinion about anything and he’s always prepared to take other views into account.”

Mr Anderson started up his own independent financial advisory business after being made redundant in 2010. He initially operated as a sole trader before registering the company in 2011.

Headquartered in Ellon, the company now has satellite offices in Aberdeen, Caithness, Westhill, Inverurie, Newmachar, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.

The firm has a full-time staff of seven and works with two self employed financial advisors to provide personal financial advice to more than 1,200 clients in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and North Scotland. Services include advice on investments, pensions, savings, mortgages and insurance.

Mr Anderson said he firmly believes that the success of the company is due to the efforts of his staff team. In December 2017, he fulfilled his commitment to give the entire staff a Christmas night out to remember if they met their targets by personally funding a five-day all expenses paid trip to New York.

Commenting on Ms Shiel’s appointment to director, Mr Anderson said: “Becky has been with the company right from the start,” said Phil. “She started working for me on her birthday in March 2011 and she’s been my right arm ever since. She’s very efficient, has a fantastic work ethic and knows as much about the company as I do. She keeps me right a lot of the time and I know that I can trust her implicitly to look after things if I’m not here.

“The company has seen year on year growth since launch and Becky has been a huge part of that. I wanted to do something special to recompense her for the work which she’s done to build up the business. I thought this was a way to show her how much she is valued and how much I appreciate everything she has done to help me.”

Phil Anderson Financial Services was named Best Independent Financial Adviser in Scotland in the 2017 International Finance Awards and Phil was named Employer of the Year at the 2017 Pride of Aberdeen Awards. Financial Adviser Ryan Yule was named 2017 UK Pension Adviser of the Year in the national Financial Monthly Awards.