Firing line  

'It's important to advisers to meet us face-to-face'

Even the managing director of Time sends occasional emails to advisers, asking for feedback and finding out how to put processes in place that can make life easier and better for colleagues and clients. 

Fun into the fund proposition

Another part of Brown's role will be to work with the business development team, helping to raise awareness and drive further growth of Time's tax-efficient products and range of real asset funds among the adviser community, building understanding of the opportunities they offer in the tax planning space and the benefits alternatives can bring to client portfolios.

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He says the investment proposition is "very exciting".

"I haven't had a huge direct exposure to these sort of investment solutions personally, so it is fascinating to learn about Time's range. 

"We have the full spectrum of offering income-generating funds in the infrastructure and UK property space, as well as IHT-efficient solutions."

For example, Time offers asset-backed business-relief qualifying services for individuals and business owners looking to reduce an IHT liability, as well as a full IHT planning service that invests in a managed portfolio of BR-qualifying AIM companies.

Regardless of the election furore around backing British companies, Brown says the remit behind Time's investment funds does "provide that backbone I suppose you'd call it, in terms of what drives growth within the UK".

He said the range covers everything from energy infrastructure, which will benefit from the UK's drive towards net zero, through to commercial real estate and real assets and infrastructure.

"Whatever colour of government, we need development and better housing and clean energy solutions, so I think our fund range has great potential positivity for Britain as well as providing a meaningful return to investors."

The company also has a relatively new fund centre, which the marketing team developed and "put a lot of time and effort behind in order to provide easy access to any of the information that's desired from advisers", Brown says. 

Building on the shoulders of giants

"I can honestly say that Time is in a phenomenal place with an efficient distribution process", Brown says, but he does not want to rest on the company's laurels - it may have received five-star ratings in the past few years at the FT Adviser Financial Adviser Service Awards, but there's always "scope to do better". 

He says: "I have learned over two decades that you need to have a sounding board in place to make sure you are doing the right thing for the right people, for the right reason. 

"That's why we need to support our BDMs in order to support the advisers. That's absolutely clear."

Referring to his work at the Just Group, where he was before he joined Triple Point in 2019, Brown says: "In the past, I've built investment propositions for long-term care funding, and building a panel of products to use - so I believe I am in a position where I have strong understanding of the adviser's world.