Want to know what makes the AFWM Ltd team tick? Find out more about our St Ives based Independent Financial Adviser Luke Zorab.
What did you do before joining AFWM Ltd?
Following completion of my Royal Air Force Officer training at 19yrs old, I decided that becoming an RAF Navigator wasn’t the best career choice, mainly due to what seemed to be a poor sense of direction. I then became a kitesurfing instructor while at university at Loughborough and then moved into financial services following the completion of my degree. I became a Foreign Exchange (FX) broker at 24 and helped clients move FX for 13 years before retraining and becoming a financial adviser.
Explain your role at AFWM Ltd
I am an independent financial adviser and help people with all aspects of financial planning. Day-to-day the primary focus of my job is to help clients with investments and tax planning. We spend quite a lot of time analysing clients’ investments to establish whether improvements can be made and in most cases clients’ financial plans can be optimised for performance and risk tolerance.
What do you like most about your job?
I like that it is very varied and there are many different ways that we can help our clients. My previous career was quite one dimensional, what I do now is far more involved and more interesting as a result. At initial appointments it is common for clients to be unaware of their investment holdings within their pension or ISA. Some clients hold direct shares but don’t have the time to keep a close eye on the markets. I enjoy analysing clients’ holdings and helping people improve performance and find more appropriate investments. I genuinely believe that we help change our clients’ lives for the better. We help clients make good financial decisions and that can make retirement considerably more comfortable or mean that more wealth can be passed down to the next generation.
Past achievements
Completing officer training in the RAF; achieving a 2:1 at Loughborough University; completing my financial adviser exams; and learning to surf and windsurf at a good level – both sports are quite difficult and I am still a long way from mastering them despite my best efforts.
Future ambitions
I would like to sail across the Atlantic before passing through the Panama Canal and heading across the Pacific. The Pacific might be a pipe dream, but I think an Atlantic crossing is achievable.
If you could do any other job for just one day, what would it be?
It would be nice to experience what it would be like to be a professional athlete. I participate in quite a few sports at an average level but would love to experience the life of a professional surfer, windsurfer, sailor or any major sport. The sense of achievement that must be felt by professional athletes would be nice to experience even if only for a day.
Hobbies and interests outside work
Sailing, windsurfing, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, walking and travelling. I particularly like traveling for sports and usually go to Bonaire most winters to go windsurfing. It’s great to escape UK winters and sailing in the Caribbean is like being blasted by a warm hair dryer. I also enjoy skiing in the French Alps with my family and surf trips to Southern France and
Fuerteventura.
What do you like best about where you live?
I love living in West Cornwall, it is a playground for all of the sports that I love. We have a sailing boat in the Helford and spend a lot of time sailing in Falmouth Bay. We are lucky to be able to take occasional trips to Fowey and the Scillies. Cornwall is a fantastic place to bring up children. When not out on the water our children spend a lot of time competing at equestrian events.
Favourite place to eat in the South West
The Ferry Boat Inn or the Shipwrights Arms in the Helford River. On the north coast I like the Blue Bar at Porthtowan.
What’s on your bucket list?
I hope to sail across the Atlantic at some stage, and have yet to try skydiving. Heli-skiing and snowboarding are also on my bucket list.
