Nigel, deVere is licensed across more than 30 jurisdictions, making you one of the most regulated executives in finance.
Some say that scale is impressive, others argue it creates unnecessary complexity. How do you balance opportunity with oversight?
Nigel Green
Regulation is not a burden; it’s a badge of trust. Every licence we hold signals that we meet the highest standards in that jurisdiction.
Of course, the administrative load is heavy, but clients deserve to know that their wealth is protected under the watch of regulators worldwide.
Complexity becomes a strength when you invest in compliance, training, and technology. In fact, I see regulation as ones of our strongest competitive advantages. It shows we are accountable, everywhere we operate.
Yet that oversight hasn’t always been straightforward. Past cases drew headlines and questions. Does the scrutiny ever feel overwhelming?
Nigel Green
Scrutiny comes with leadership. The incidents you mention were important lessons. I prefer to see these moments as opportunities to improve. Clients trust advisers who face scrutiny, respond responsibly, and keep building. If you want global reach, you must accept global responsibility.
Let’s move to technology. You embraced crypto in 2018, when most financial CEOs wouldn’t touch it. That was bold. But volatility has burned many retail investors. Do you ever worry that innovation can move faster than prudence?
Nigel Green
Yes, and that’s why our role is to act as a bridge. Clients will explore digital assets with or without us.
By providing education and regulated platforms, we can protect them from misinformation or unlicensed actors. Innovation always runs ahead of regulation, but I believe in moving early, responsibly, and with full disclosure. The key is never to chase hype, but to meet client demand safely.
Some advisers fear AI could make parts of their role obsolete. You’ve said AI will reshape the industry. Is that a promise or a threat?
Nigel Green
It’s both a challenge and opportunity. AI will automate routine tasks—reporting, fraud detection, and some compliance checks. This may feel threatening. But it also liberates advisers to do what machines cannot—listen, empathise, build trust, and guide complex decisions.
The next generation of clients are AI natives, but they’ll still value human reassurance. AI will not remove advisers; it will elevate them… if they adapt.
Let’s talk about those “AI natives. ” The financial sector struggles to attract younger talent. How do you train and keep ambitious graduates when the industry has a reputation for burnout?
Nigel Green
Young professionals want growth, meaning, and technology that reflects their lives. We invest in continuous training—fintech, compliance, soft skills. We also give them responsibility early.
The regulatory environment is demanding, but it also builds discipline. Yes, this industry can be tough, but it is also deeply rewarding. You can make a tangible difference in someone’s life. If we mentor the next generation properly, they’ll stay and thrive.
Your firm has more than 100,000 clients globally. Skeptics say the bigger the client base, the thinner the personal connection. How do you maintain rapport in such a vast organisation?
Nigel Green
Rapport is built locally, one relationship at a time. Tech gives us reach, but trust comes from advisers listening to stories, understanding families, and guiding through uncertain times.
We embed regular check-ins, personalised dashboards, and clear communication. A large client base does not mean impersonal service. It means more resources to serve clients better. The scale enables the intimacy.
Still, clients sometimes prefer boutique firms. What makes you confident that “big is better” in advice?
Nigel Green
Because size delivers stability. A boutique may be nimble, but can it offer a global compliance infrastructure, the best range of financial products and associated services, a suite of proprietary fintech apps, or access to regulatory frameworks in dozens of countries? Probably not. Big is better when scale is used responsibly, that’s to say to invest in talent, tech, and transparency. Clients today move countries, assets, and businesses across borders. They need an adviser who can move with them.
Speaking of borders, we’re seeing a rise in protectionism, trade barriers, and financial nationalism. How does a cross-border firm like yours adapt?
Nigel Green
By staying ahead. Protectionism is cyclical, but global mobility is permanent. People marry across borders, work in multiple jurisdictions, retire abroad. This doesn’t change.
Our task is to help them adapt to new rules—whether it’s tax, pensions, or investment flows. If anything, more barriers make advice more valuable. Complexity increases demand for expert counsel. Cross-border advice will only grow in importance.
Running a global firm means culture is fragile. How do you ensure that a deVere adviser in Hong Kong lives the same values as one in Paris or Dubai?
Nigel Green
Culture is about clarity and consistency. We reinforce values in training, compliance, and leadership visits.
I travel frequently, meet teams, listen, and reinforce that we’re one organization with shared standards. Technology helps—communication platforms, regular global briefings—but culture ultimately comes from human connection. You can’t delegate culture; you must live it and demonstrate it.
You’re often quoted in the media and on social media on markets, Bitcoin, and global economics. Some executives avoid public commentary because it invites scrutiny. Why do you embrace it?
Nigel Green
Because clients need clarity. Financial news can be overwhelming.
If I can provide perspective that helps people make sense of events—interest rate moves, geopolitical shifts, digital asset volatility—then I am serving not just clients, but the industry.
Of course, it opens you up to criticism, but silence helps no one. A leader should inform, interpret, and sometimes challenge the status quo.
You’ve spoken about talent, skills, and hard work as pillars of success. But surely luck plays a role too?
Nigel Green
Luck exists, but it favors preparation. You cannot control every external factor—markets, politics, pandemics. But you can control your discipline, your adaptability, and your integrity.
Hard work puts you in position to benefit when opportunities arise. That has been true in my own career. I never assume success is permanent, but I know preparation makes it repeatable.
After four decades, what still motivates you personally?
Nigel Green
Purpose. Finance is not about numbers, it’s about people. Helping someone secure their retirement, fund their child’s education, or protect wealth across borders—that’s meaningful.
I’m also motivated by the responsibility to set standards in an industry that sometimes falls short. If we can prove that global advice can be ethical, compliant, and innovative, then that’s a legacy worth pursuing.
Nigel Green
It’s a valid concern. Wealth inequality is one of the defining issues of our time. That’s why we focus not just on ultra-high net worth clients, but also on workplace advice—bringing financial education to employees of major companies. Financial literacy and planning should not be the preserve of the few.
Our Foundation also supports causes like youth education and poverty alleviation. Finance should empower, not exclude.
What is the single hardest lesson you’ve learned as a leader?
Nigel Green
That growth without discipline is unsustainable. Early on, I was driven by expansion—more clients, more regions, more services. But expansion must be matched by governance, culture, and compliance. I’ve learned that scale is only positive when integrity and discipline grow with it. That lesson shaped the way deVere operates today.
And what’s next for deVere?
Nigel Green
We’re building for a world where technology and human advice are inseparable. We’ll expand our AI-enhanced platforms, but always keep the adviser at the centre. We’ll grow in emerging markets where demand for cross-border advice is rising. We’ll embed ESG into more solutions because clients want investments that align with their values.
Above all, we’ll remain committed to integrity, transparency, and service. The industry is changing fast, but our mission—to serve clients globally, responsibly, and innovatively—remains constant.
