Jennifer Toon-Davenport is the Lawsons Network Membership Acquisition Director. With extensive experience spanning multiple continents, Jen has been in the industry since 2005 – and we’re thrilled to have her on board.
We caught up with Jen to chat about her role. Read on to discover what she’s looking for in an IFA , how she’ll guide you through the recruitment process, and the business-differentiating support she gives to our network members.
Why did Jen decide to join Lawsons Network?
With an illustrious career as a global recruitment consultant – both in-house and externally – Jen specialises in finding and placing candidates in wealth management organisations in countries across the world, building high-performing sales teams that drive growth.
But what drew her to the role at Lawsons Network? “I have known a few key members of the management team for a long time,” Jen explains, “and I was excited when the opportunity arose to work with them again – and on such an overdue proposition for the offshore financial advisory market.”
What are Jen’s key responsibilities?
The overarching aim of Jen’s role is to drive talent acquisition and to build relationships with existing members to ensure retention. In addition to supporting membership activity, she’s a key contributor to business strategy and works on our global commercial partnerships programme – another factor that drew her to the role.
“I love relationship building,” Jen enthuses, “so I’m delighted to have the chance to focus on the partnership programme as well as working on strengthening member relationships internally.”
What’s Jen looking for in an IFA?
Jen loves the fact that all potential Appointed Representatives and individual members are different; the sheer variety of people is – she says – what makes the job exciting. But when it comes to specific these are the qualities that she’s looking for?
“The common factor that unites all company and individual members is their honesty and commitment to ethics,” Jen explains. “That, along with a client-focused approach, as those are both at the core of the Lawsons Network proposition.”
What does Jen bring to the talent acquisition process?
With a passion for building long-lasting rapport with candidates, Jen brings a personal touch to every stage of the recruitment process and beyond. “After three children, I find it easy to multi-task,” she jokes, “which makes it easy to focus on guiding each candidate through the process of joining the network and ultimately helping them achieve their goals.”
And what’s her favourite part of the job? “It has to be witnessing the success stories of candidates that I’ve placed over years – I love building rapport with my peers, and seeing individuals grow and achieve their lifetime ambitions.”
How does Jen help network members?
Responsible for the overall membership experience, Jen’s oversees internal communications campaigns and enables members to pursue and achieve their global objectives – whether that’s expanding into new geographical regions, working with new providers or attracting the talent to build their teams.
“I’m here to assist in the development of individual businesses,” Jen elaborates. “For example, we provide an in-house recruitment service to attract talent to help grow your business.”
With an international reputation built on trust and discretion, Jen is always available for an off-the-record chat with potential candidates: “If you’re thinking of joining Lawsons from a traditional retail office or switching from your current network, please get in touch – I’ve built my reputation on keeping candidate information confidential so you can feel completely comfortable speaking to me off the record.”
Talented international financial adviser? Jen would love to hear from you
Are you searching for a network that prioritises its members and gives you the freedom and flexibility to grow your business in the direction you choose? We’re looking for honest and ethical individuals and companies with a commitment to delivering world-class advice that boosts client outcomes.
Fast-growing with a commitment to transparency and sustainability, Lawsons Network is attracting growing numbers of ambitious international IFAs. And with regulatory infrastructure and transformational technology – as well as the expertise of the team and the Lawsons Investment Committee – we’ll help you take control of your future and achieve your business goals.
“I’d love to hear from anyone who thinks that Lawsons Network could be the right option for them and their clients,” Jen concludes: “Everything we discuss will be 100% confidential – I’ll answer your questions and give you a sense of what being a member of Lawsons Network is like.”
