"This is why we have joined with the Verve Group to sponsor the first cohort of 10 advisers on a two-year training programmes, bringing in different people from different background who may not have otherwise considered finance as a career."
The end of the platform personality
Rowney has a strong character but has no wish to be a "platform personality". He explained: "Look, I want the company to be the focus, not me. Some of the early platform players were entrepreneurs and real personalities and that is not a bad thing.
"But to be a scale player your company needs to be bigger than the individual - it is about all the strength and depth and talent across the team.
"The era of the platform personality has perhaps gone, and the focus now is on growth and technology and creating value for advisers and clients. This is why we are working on a state-of-the-art platform for James Hay."
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Rowney, who has three daughters, two of whom are very young, said he "thinks of myself as a young 50 year old. To be honest, age is no way to define your career. I will keep doing what I do as long as I am adding value.
"I genuinely don't do this for the money; I do it for the enjoyment of it. Sure, there will be a time when I want to do something different, maybe supporting or mentoring a chief executive or helping someone to grow their business."
He added: "I would also like to create my own personal foundation".
"Yes", he said, almost anticipating the next question. "I know that sounds grandiose but genuinely I want to be able to do something good for people. I see so many people where a simple solution such as financial support can be life-changing to them.
"I want my daughters to see the value in giving back, and developing a generosity of human spirit.
"Humans are at their best when they are helping others."
Rowney added: "Look, at the end of it, if I can have a combination of enjoying my family, helping businesses and growing a foundation, that feels like a pretty nice phase of the journey. But the start of that journey still feels a long way off for now."
simoney.kyriakou@ft.com
