Dave Price is the head of the Midlands region for Cazenove Capital and is responsible for the growth of the business in the area providing advice to clients and their families in matters connected to their wealth.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN YOUR CURRENT JOB? 16 months
GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER: I am a proud failed golfer who didn’t succeed in making a career in the sport after leaving college! From there I found a path in financial services working firstly in the retail environment at the West Bromwich Building Society for 12 years and then ultimately working in the High Net Worth Advisory sector at Credit Suisse, UBS and now Cazenove Capital. All of my roles have been client-focused which is where I prefer to be.
DID FURTHER/HIGHER EDUCATION SET YOU UP WELL FOR YOUR CAREER PATH? Not at all. I left college early and didn’t attend university. Whilst I have admiration for anybody who has successfully navigated higher education, I don’t believe it should define your future.
HAS THE FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC PRESENTED ANY OPPORTUNITIES? Any huge event such as the pandemic creates opportunities amidst the chaos and we’ve seen many success stories in our network where entrepreneurs have adapted to create something inspirational and successful.
CAN ONLINE MEETINGS SUCCESFULLY TAKE THE PLACE OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT? Not in my opinion - there has obviously been a shift towards tech-based communication and we will never go back to where we were a few years ago. However, people like in person contact for many reasons and I can’t see this changing in my lifetime.
HOW DO YOU GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR STAFF? Give them the freedom to think for themselves and allow their individuality to come out. I also believe in complete honesty, if something isn’t working it should be discussed and improved together, likewise successes should be celebrated together too.
HOW MANY EMAILS DO YOU TEND TO GET IN A DAY, AND HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO READ THEM? The culture at Cazenove Capital is really good and one way this manifests itself is there is very little bureaucracy, and this ultimately means a lower email count than you might expect. I’ve never counted the emails I receive but it is very manageable. Mostly we speak rather than type.
HOW DO YOU HOPE YOUR COLLEAGUES WOULD DESCRIBE YOU? Fair, hard working
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR? I’m genuinely pleased that my clients seem to like me which makes life easier for all.
ANY PARTICULAR FAUX PAS OR EMBARRASSING MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER YOU WOULD PREFER TO FORGET? A client and I once nearly had a coming together on a busy road in our cars, we both were about to suggest that the problem had been caused by the other until we realised who the other person was. We laugh about it now but don’t bring it up that often!
PET HATES? Lateness
IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF SOME WISE ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Do the physio you were told to do after your ACL replacement. It will save you lots of pain down the line.
HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM WORK? I like most sports and still play golf.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS COMMUNITY? Loyalty to the region and pride in what we have and can build.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY WOULDN’T KNOW: I once scored seven out of seven penalties against the then West Brom goalkeeper, Alan Miller. It’s amazing how successful closing your eyes and hoofing it is.
YOU CAN TAKE ONE BOOK, ONE FILM AND ONE CD ONTO A DESERT ISLAND – WHAT WOULD THEY BE? Book – Rubicon by Tom Holland; film – Band of Brothers Box Set; CD – Ocean Colour Scene's Moseley Shoals.
YOUR FIVE DREAM DINNER PARTY GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE? Seve Ballesteros, Shane Warne, Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar - and a translator.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO EAT FOR YOUR LAST SUPPER? Buffalo chicken wings followed by a good steak with fries and peppercorn sauce.
