/ A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... DENIS COYNE, AN ASSOCIATE PARTNER AT EIGHT WEALTH INTERNATIONAL

06:30 / Cooldown, news, social media and see off the boy

I check the overnight news and some of my client’s social media posts, and will often re-post articles which I find particularly interesting. I think nowadays a three-minute read max is often what followers are looking for especially what concerns them personally, Inflation, interest rates, tax allowances, property news. So I bite size it and let them choose.

See my lad off to school and get ready to roll.

09:30 / Attend the Asia partner briefing call

I join the fortnightly briefing to stay updated with inputs from business heads, and other business units. This includes new initiatives, changes in the investment proposition and a few other things.

10:30 / Meeting Hugo W. OBE, Group Chief Executive Officer, BoardRoom Group

Look who’s back! Amazing catch up and great to see a reversal in the recent direction of travel. Many people ask if I still see clients returning back to the UK, Europe and Australia post covid. It is somewhat the case, though it is finally slowing down now and occasionally, it is reassuring to see this trend reversing.

05:30 / Morning Walk

Good morning, Singapore. No running due to a dodgy left knee. So, I start my day with a pleasant walk from Robertson walk to MBS which really helps to clear my head. I see some familiar nightcrawler faces… plus some Tik-Tok stars doing their thing in front of MBS and a few worse for wear on their way home from a big night out. Thursday is always funniest for the latter. Get out one Thursday its priceless.

07:45 - 08:00 / Start Work

Quick commute to the office at One Raffles Place.

I am a complete work-from-office person, with everything that brings. I adore the office atmosphere and love catching up with my colleagues. But you have to race in to find a seat these days. I love an early start and finish, and would endorse working to your biorhythms if you can - it’s far more productive!

On arrival I prioritize the overnight emails first and then ensure I have everything ready for the day. I tend to do 2/3 meetings per day plus calls. Often each meeting requires detailed analysis from the team.

11:45 / Run for lunch

Ready, set, go. It’s amazing to see the bounce back in Raffles Place. I run to grab a healthy lunch to avoid the lunchtime crowd - possibly the only running I can manage these days!

12:00 - 13:00 / Lunch

I love our small kitchen area with high stools. It’s a great place for me to catch up with fellow Partners and colleagues, or simply a space for me to listen to my podcast over lunch.

13:00 / Client calls

Clients often have a small window between 1.10 to 1.50 pm. This is a great opportunity to arrange follow-up meetings or to just update clients on statuses. I also check in with various business units to ensure clients’ cases are being processed seamlessly - all of our work is supported by a wonderful and hardworking team, and the efforts required are far more intensive than they appear!

14:00 - 13:00 / Reviews for the week

I spent the hour working with my Client Service Executive on the to-dos for the week and reviewing which clients I am seeing next.

For almost twenty years I was part of a team instrumental in putting portfolios together for clients and prospects. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep on top of these and ensuring clients’ money was working hard for them. I left as I was spending more time discussing funds, rather than focusing on my clients’ goals. With St. James’s Place Investments, this is all done behind the scenes with fund management expertise that allow clients to diversify and ultimately gives me the chance to do what I love most, spending time with the clients directly.

15:00 - 15:30 / Catch up with Neil Jensen. Eight Mortgages International

We recently incorporated a dedicated mortgage desk in Hong Kong within the Eight family. Neil is superb as a review for any existing mortgage or a new purchase and I often check in with him for property updates.

16:00 - 16:30 / Run some errands and back for a nice tea

16:30 - 17:30/ Review with Martin L. Regional Director at Flexnet

The most interesting part of my role is gaining a greater understanding of each client. Everyone of them is on a different financial journey, so the purpose of the review is really creating a tailor-made plan for them.

18:30 / Dinner

It’s great to get some time for a family dinner and chat about how our days went. With a teenage son and a busy working wife, dinner time may possibly be the only opportunity for us to have a good conversation together during the week

19:30 - 21:00

I try not to have night calls. Of course, there is often an urgent email or issue to escalate. But where I can a nice film or catching up on some sport will be the order of the day.

21:00

Reflect, rest and reboot for tomorrow

About Eight Wealth International

At Eight Wealth International, we believe in the benefits of great financial planning. At one time or another, most of us will need to seek financial advice.

17:30

- 18:15 / Drink

It’s so nice to have a quick drink with a client and catch up on everything from their hobbies, to political interests and their latest travels! What a perfect way to round off my day! I tend to have events on Wednesdays and Thursdays. So, having a drink on a Monday is great! I didn’t get this professional athlete’s body by accident.

Eight Wealth International is a Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, we have a wide range of expertise and knowledge, developed over many years, to help people – both individually and in business – fulfil their aims and aspirations, as well as offering that all-important ‘peace of mind’ for the future.

We offer a seamless service of distinct quality, professionalism and expertise, covering varying aspects of wealth management, all backed by the successful St. James’s Place Wealth Management Group.