"I've also been lucky enough that, in all the places I have worked, they have encouraged me to sit the same exams as advisers."
He has done all the ROs, as well as the long-term care and equity release exams, and is now en route to becoming chartered.
Brown says it's all part and parcel of understanding what it is like to be a financial adviser in the UK and to meet their needs from a position of knowledge.
Consumer duty
And it is important to understand where advisers' pressure points are, according to Brown.
This is because it is getting harder for advisers and for companies serving them, given all the regulatory impetus of recent years, such as consumer duty, the Retirement Incomes Review and the Advice/Guidance Boundary review.
"We're constantly evolving, aren't we, in financial services? The first 'big one' I ever dealt with was the Retail Distribution Review", Brown says.
"Advisers are trying to show that what they are doing is getting the best outcome for the client. But it does potentially constrain advisers in terms of the time it can take.
"Yes, it's it for the greater good, but the process [of meeting all this regulation] can be difficult. To that point, going back to what I said earlier about service, it also includes that educational piece.
"Where we can, we can help provide information to advisers to help them navigate all the regulation that is coming down to them."
The company has now done two iterations now of its Advisers' Guide to Business Relief, has a substantial webinar-based programme and makes sure its own staff are trained.
Time also has a panel of advisers - from the "individual who works from her home office through to the largest national" - and regularly asks for feedback to see which initiatives have landed well, and which aspects of service could be better.
The company is also preparing to create an adviser portal, so users can log in and request valuations and do things digitally, rather than having to send email or make phone calls.
None of this is replacing face-to-face, but he says: "It's down to that point about efficiency. Whatever we can do to help them make the most efficient use of their time, that's the way forward."
