Baggette + Co. Wealth Management has welcomed Karen Medlen as its new Head of Operations, bringing more than 30 years of financial services experience to the growing independent financial planning firm.
Karen joins the Poole-based wealth management firm with extensive experience spanning paraplanning, operations, leadership and people development. In her new role, she will work across the business to help Baggette + Co. continue developing its people and processes while maintaining the personal service and long-term relationships its clients value.
Her appointment further strengthens the firm’s senior team as Baggette + Co. continues to invest in the infrastructure and expertise behind its independent financial advice across Dorset, Hampshire and the wider South Coast.
More Than 30 Years of Financial Services Experience
Karen began her career in financial services in 1996, initially working directly with customers and financial advisers before moving into paraplanning. She went on to spend much of her career in paraplanning roles before moving into the independent financial advice sector and becoming increasingly involved in leadership, people development and the wider operations of financial planning businesses.
It was the opportunity to work more closely with people and understand how the different areas of a business fit together that ultimately led Karen towards operations.
Karen said:
“I’ve always enjoyed the people side of the business. There’s a lot of satisfaction in helping someone develop, watching their confidence grow and knowing you’ve played a part in their career.
“As I became more involved in operations, I also really enjoyed being able to work across the whole business. You can’t look at one department in isolation because everything has to work together.”
Keeping Personal Relationships at the Heart of Financial Planning
Karen was drawn to the firm’s approach to growth and the consideration given to how decisions affect both employees and clients, an approach that reflected her own preference for weighing up the options rather than making quick decisions.
As Head of Operations, Karen will work across Baggette + Co., helping ensure its different teams, processes and systems work effectively together. Having experienced financial services businesses of different sizes and structures throughout her career, Karen believes maintaining strong personal relationships is particularly important as an independent financial planning firm develops.
She said:
“A lot of clients want to know that their money is being looked after by someone who knows them. They want that relationship with an adviser who understands them and their circumstances, rather than having to explain their position again every time they speak to someone.
“As an independent firm, you have the ability to tailor things much more around the individual. As you grow, it’s important that you protect that.”
Building Financial Planning Relationships for the Long Term
Karen also believes attitudes towards younger financial advisers are changing, with clients increasingly open to building relationships with advisers earlier in their careers.
Rather than age alone, she believes matching the right client with the right financial planner often comes down to personality and compatibility, and the ability to develop a relationship that can continue across the different stages of a client’s financial life.
Karen’s own experience supporting and developing trainee financial planners has given her first-hand insight into the transition from technical roles into financial advice, complementing Baggette + Co.’s continued investment in developing the next generation of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs).
Embracing Change in Financial Services
Having worked in financial services since the mid-1990s, Karen has seen considerable change across the profession and believes the ability to continue adapting is essential. In her new role, she is particularly interested in developing her knowledge of operational resilience and exploring how technology can improve efficiency across the business, including where artificial intelligence can reduce time spent on administrative tasks and free up more time for the conversations and relationships that matter most to clients and colleagues.
Strengthening Operations at Baggette + Co.
Oscar Hjälmås, CEO at Baggette + Co. Wealth Management, said:
“Karen brings a huge amount of experience to the business, but just as importantly, she understands people and the impact that good operations can have on the experience our clients receive.
“As Baggette + Co. continues to develop, we want the business behind our advisers to develop with us. Karen will be working across our different teams, helping us look at how we can make things work better while protecting the personal service that has always been important to us.
“We’re really pleased to have her on board and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact she has across the business.”
Independent Financial Planning Across Dorset and Hampshire
Established in Poole in 1986, Baggette + Co. Wealth Management provides independent financial planning, retirement planning, pension advice, investment planning and wealth management services to individuals, families and business owners.
The firm’s Independent Financial Advisers support clients across Poole, Bournemouth, Dorset, Hampshire and the wider South Coast, providing personalised financial advice built around each client’s circumstances and long-term goals.
To find out more about Karen Medlen and the wider Baggette + Co. team, visit our People page.
For further information, contact Baggette + Co. Wealth Management on 01202 676 983 or email [email protected].
