Get to know the Secondsight team – David Reekie

At Secondsight, we are dedicated in ensuring that all our clients get the best possible experience when working with us. And we believe our employees are at the heart of this.

In this month’s edition of ‘Get to know the Secondsight team’, we spoke to David Reekie, an Employee Benefits Advisor (EBA), who supports clients with their employee benefits and financial education on a daily basis.

Hi David, can you tell us about your role at Secondsight?

As an Employee Benefits Adviser, the majority of my role involves supporting the employees of our corporate clients. This could be in relation to their workplace pension, offering advice on contributions against long term targets, assessing fund choices in line with their attitude to risk or ensuring their knowledge of their retirement planning is better after the meeting than it was before. We also deliver a vast number of webinars covering various financial wellbeing topics, to again support and enhance the knowledge of our clients employees, as well as improve their financial wellbeing.

I have had the pleasure of working with most of our corporate clients for over 4 years and have built some very good relationships. I like the fact that for some of our clients I am their ‘go to’ adviser when advice days are set up.

What would you say led you to a career in employee services?

I have been advising in the financial services industry for some 30 years. However, supporting employee services started for me around 6 years ago just after I started with Foster Denovo (Secondsight’s parent company), and this was to support Secondsight on an ad hoc basis. I soon learned that I really enjoyed the role and in 2017 joined Secondsight permanently as an EBA, and since then have not looked back.

Can you tell us the three best things about being an Employee Benefits Adviser?

Getting to meet many individuals from all sorts of industries and walks of life, with all their different stories and life expectations.

Knowing that my clients employees have a much better understanding of where they are heading on their incredibly important journey to retirement.

It’s a serious subject but has to be done with a smile whilst having fun!

What would you say is a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?

In Secondsight we work as a team across all areas of our business to ensure our clients receive a fantastic service. In 2018, which was my first ‘full’ calendar year as an EBA, my colleagues voted for me to receive the ‘Outstanding Client Service Award’ because of my work and efforts in quickly building relations with our corporate clients. It was lovely to receive an award for simply doing the job I love!

How do you prefer to start your working day?

I like to start the day by taking the dogs for a walk and having a cup of coffee.

If you could click your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be and why?

Cooking. I wanted to be a chef and have always loved cooking, both as a child and today 50 years later. With the benefit of hindsight, I think my cooking style would have been similar to Jamie Oliver’s.

2020 wasn’t the year we all expected, but what is one of your favorite memories from last year?

Welcoming 16 Labrador puppies from our two Labrador girls (with a little help from Ralph!) and the pure joy the puppy owners have had since; especially Harry, a 10-year-old who was brought to our home on Christmas Day by his parents to see the black puppy he was getting in January.

Thanks David!

To find out more about the types of employee benefits, workplace wellbeing and financial education services we offer, contact us today.

Secondsight is a trading name of Foster Denovo Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.