At MPA Financial Management, we believe the future of our profession depends not only on how the industry evolves, but on the people we inspire to become part of it.

Developing the next generation is something we care deeply about, which is why this summer we were delighted to welcome two university students, Archie Greaves-Hall and Maisie Lyons, to MPA for a joint six-week internship.

Rather than observing from the sidelines, Archie and Maisie experienced first-hand what life is like inside a financial planning and wealth management business. They spent time across the firm, shadowing advisers, paraplanners and our client services teams, and building an understanding of the different roles, skills and expertise that come together to deliver for our clients.

Just as importantly, we wanted them to make a real contribution.

A Next-Generation Perspective

As part of their internships, Archie and Maisie took on a strategic project exploring a question that matters to many of the families we work with: how do we help the next generation engage with financial planning?

Many of our clients are keen to support their children and grandchildren, whether that’s helping with a first home, passing on wealth or simply encouraging good financial habits early. Archie and Maisie looked at how we can better engage with those younger family members, carrying out market research, competitor analysis and proposition development before presenting their findings to our leadership team.

Their perspective as part of that generation was particularly valuable, and their work produced some thought-provoking ideas that will help shape how we continue to support our clients and their families for years to come.

Reflecting on his six weeks with MPA, Archie Greaves-Hall said:

“My six weeks at MPA have given me real hands-on experience across the firm. Alongside departmental and advisory shadowing to see how a financial services firm actually runs, I led a client strategy project aimed at engaging younger generations, which MPA has genuinely considered. It’s been a brilliant and practical insight into a career in the industry, and one which I will always be grateful for.”

Maisie Lyons commented:

“My six-week internship at MPA Financial Management provided an excellent introduction to the financial planning profession and the wider wealth management industry. Alongside gaining exposure to different service lines and working closely with advisers and paraplanners, I was able to contribute to a strategic business project exploring how MPA can attract, engage and retain more clients from the next generation. Through market research, competitor analysis and proposition development, I developed valuable commercial awareness, strengthened my analytical skills and gained a deeper understanding of the role financial planning plays in helping clients achieve their long-term goals.”

 

Encouraging the Financial Professionals of Tomorrow

Financial services offers a huge range of career paths, yet for many young people it is hard to picture what working in the profession actually looks like until they experience it for themselves. Internships and work experience help bridge that gap.

At MPA, we want young people considering a career in our industry to gain meaningful exposure to it, understanding not just financial advice itself, but the many disciplines that sit behind a successful financial planning business.

It works both ways. Bringing fresh perspectives into the business challenges established thinking, sparks new ideas and helps us make sure our service continues to evolve for our clients and the generations that follow them.

We were delighted to have Archie and Maisie as part of the MPA team this summer, and proud to see the confidence, knowledge and commercial awareness they built during their time with us. We hope their six weeks with us prove to be an important early step in their careers, wherever their paths lead.

For MPA, it reinforces our commitment to continuing to Inform, Educate and Inspire the next generation of financial services professionals.