City Watch: Question Time - John Stewart; Natalie Graham talks to

WHAT was your biggest break?

BEING given the chance back in l989 to start my first company, Woolwich Independent Financial Advisory Services. It was a real change for the Woolwich, involving several million pounds, considered a huge risk by some. It got me known, and it has become one of the largest IFAs in the country.

WHAT do you like best about your job?

BEING part of a team, watching the investment I can put into coaching people pay off as their careers develop. Not only is this very satisfying but it is fun too.

WHAT are you most proud of?

LEADING the Woolwich through its change to a plc in 1997 was a big landmark in my career. I am also proud of continual innovation, like our Open Plan Mortgage product, which links a mortgage, a credit card and a personal loan together, often saving the customer over pounds 100 a month.

WHAT advice would you give readers who wanted to succeed in business?

THAT'S an easy one - be honest, hard- working and care about your customers and staff.

WHO have you learned most from and who do you admire?

I GUESS I would have to say my father, the person who instilled standards and the work ethic in me. It is probably down to him that I am the happy workaholic I am today. I most admire those who have the courage to break the business mould, people who dare think differently, like Jack Welch from General Electric.

WHAT issue are you concentrating on now?

WE aim to give customers banking tailor-made to each individual's needs, rather than one size fits all. We are getting everybody at the Woolwich to work as a team to deliver this.

WHAT'S your next goal?

WE are well on the way to achieving our next goal, thanks to a popular pilot scheme involving 3,000 customers. It's called Open Plan Services, which uses technology to help every customer make their savings and borrowings more efficient, rather like a private bank. With one of our facilities, account sweeping, you need leave only essential cash in your current account, while the rest is automatically swept into a savings account.

HAVE you ever faced discrimination in your career?

NO, and I won't tolerate people who try to discriminate against others.

WHAT has been your biggest disappointment?

AS a Scot and a keen football fan, I am disappointed that the call to lead the Scottish football team has never come my way!

HOW do you like to unwind outside work?

I FIND sailing both exhilarating and totally relaxing, a great antidote to stress.

WHAT is the hardest thing you've had to do in your career?

SAY no. When the team has worked really hard to put together a business proposal, sometimes I have to say no. Though it is hard, sometimes the best deals are the ones you walk away from.

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