The Argentis Adviser Academy is on a mission to build the next generation of financial advisers to enable easier succession planning and continuity for clients.
Head of academy and development Phil Leedham was brought into Argentis last year to head up the firm's advice academy.
Speaking to Professional Adviser, he says one of the most important benefits of how the academy is run is that it allows client continuity.
Through the academy, trainees shadow experienced advisers and gradually become familiar faces to clients.
"Clients like being able to say, ‘I remember you when you were developing — I've seen you grow," Leedham says. "That continuity means clients don't have to retell their story, because the adviser already understands their history."
He adds: "It removes the cliff-edge moment of handing someone an adviser badge and sending them out without deep knowledge of the clients or the business.
"That kind of transition can be worrying and even damaging, particularly for those with less experience."
Argentis built the academy to allow for internal progression, but Leedham explains that it has now been set up as a graduate programme with a guaranteed job at the end.
"We want it to be as open and accessible as possible," he explains. "At the same time, we're very honest - we can't promote ten people every year. That's just not how it works."
To take part in the programme, candidates are expected to be at, or very close to, Diploma level before they start.
"Exams are hard work, and the workload has to be realistic," Leedham says. "Sometimes the right answer is, ‘not this time - come back next year.'"
The academy boss did note that Agentis would be open to providing exam support for its candidates in the future as it expands.
"We're also reviewing our exam and support policies," Leedham says. "Asking people to pay for everything themselves can be a real barrier."
He adds: "If someone has the talent, the work ethic, and the ambition, we should be supporting them - not stopping them.
"We can't promote everyone, but we can create a clear pathway that empowers people to take control of their future."
Leedham says the age demographic for the Argentis Academy is varied.
"Some people are on second careers - their children are older, and they're ready to progress," he explains. "One of our recent promotions worked at Tesco for years before joining as an administrator and deciding to become an adviser."
"Another had spent years in financial services administration and reached a point where she was ready to move forward."
Allowing clients to see continuity rather than a sudden handover is important for Argentis.
"It's far better than a letter saying, ‘Your adviser has retired - someone else has taken over," Leedham says. "From a client perspective, it's reassuring to see the people who will be supporting them for the next 20 or 30 years."
Going beyond examination and a focus on people
For Argentis, its academy is not about teaching exams but about how an adviser interacts with clients.
"It's about understanding what a client actually wants, not just selling a product," Leedham says. "You're advising the person, not the pension."
He adds: "If you understand why something matters to a client, the technical solution becomes much clearer.
"We spend a lot of time explaining not just what to say, but why you say it."
Leedham explains the academy urges its advisers to not just follow a script.
"If you're just following a script, it doesn't work," he says. "If you understand the structure and the purpose behind it, you can adapt to any client situation."
"Good financial planning should feel like a conversation - even though there's a clear structure underneath."
Leedham explains that the biggest surprise for many academy participants is how much of the role is about meetings and understanding people.
"We rarely talked about products; we talked about life, family, and ambitions," he says. "Once you truly understand where a client is going, everything else flows from that."
"That trust makes succession possible."
Leedham notes that clients are naturally sceptical when it comes to getting a new financial adviser.
"They wonder how someone new could ever understand them," he says. "With the right training and consistency, that trust can be rebuilt."
"When financial planning works properly, it becomes intergenerational and that's when you know the relationship has real depth."
