60-second interview with…

 Nigel Shaw TEP, STEP member since 1993

Why did you join STEP?

At the time there was no separate professional body for advisors in the trusts and estates field. It was quite an innovation and struck a chord with me then as it continues to do now.

What does being a STEP and a Yorkshire branch member mean to you/your organisation?

As a STEP member, you get the professional recognition as an ‘expert in your field’. As part of the Yorkshire branch, you are able to make a contribution and ensure STEP moves into a stronger position when you first joined.

What’s been the best STEP event you’ve attended and why?

They are all good especially the conferences held in Leeds – it’s a good feeling that we have all this expertise in the north.

What are the main challenges facing your organisation/practitioners at the moment?

Competition in the trusts and estates sector is very keen now – you’ve got to deliver and stand out from the crowd. ‘Trusted advisor’ status is now essential.

How will you deal with these challenges?

How I’ve always done – being passionate about the work, always doing your best for clients but letting your clients see a bit of your character now and again. Often, we can appear a bit ‘grey’ in this sector.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Don’t stand still for too long otherwise you’ll become a statue.

What’s been your career highlight?

I recently achieved 30 years in the trusts and estates field. It does not seem like a couple of years ago when [STEP founder] George Tasker was lecturing to me on estate accounts!

What do you do in your spare time?

What’s spare time?

What’s the best book you have read this year?

Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son by Roger Mortimer and Charlie Mortimer was very entertaining.

What’s your favourite quote?

‘Truth is the only safe ground to stand on.’ (US social activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton)

Which social media channels do you use and why?

I’m just getting into LinkedIn, purely for professional purposes.

Nigel Shaw TEP is Head of Private Clients and Charity/Not-for-profits Partner at Garbutt & Elliott. He focuses on UK work out of his firm’s offices in Leeds and York, with an emphasis on family businesses. He is also a Director of the firm’s in-house IFA business. Nigel is a member of STEP’s Yorkshire branch and is its former chairman.

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Article posted on 23 August 2012