Want to know what makes the AFWM team tick? Meet Harry Griffiths our St Ives based Independent Financial Adviser.
What did you do before you joined AFWM?
I used to be a dentist, but there wasn’t enough time to spend with patients, so I stopped enjoying it. I left dentistry at the end of 2020 and spent a year and a half converting vans into camper vans. It was a nice break from the intensity of dentistry and I enjoyed learning new skills, but I missed the social interaction of working with people. I’ve always been interested in finance and I enjoy helping people, so I decided to retrain as a financial adviser.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I really enjoy the interaction with clients; it’s satisfying helping people to achieve their goals. I also like the fact that finance is an ever-changing landscape. Every day, there’s something in the news that could have a direct impact on what we’re doing. You need to stay up to date and never stop learning in this job, so it never gets boring.
If you could do any other job for just one day, what would it be?
I’d probably be a ski instructor. Despite having dislocated and broken my hip skiing in 2023, it’s a sport I can’t get enough of! Luckily, there hasn’t been any long-term damage, and it hasn’t put me off skiing.
Do you go to the same ski resort most years?
We tend to go to the French Alps to a place called Les Gets. I’m fortunate in that a friend’s parents have a chalet there and he invites us to stay. Because we’ve been several times, we know where everything is, which restaurants are good, and so on. It means we can just get on with having a great time.
What else do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I like playing golf. I also surf, although I’m not very good yet. You can surf at any time of the year if you have the right gear, so I’m getting plenty of practice. I’m quite an outdoorsy person. If I can’t go surfing, I’ll go bodyboarding or for a swim, or just go for a walk along the coast. As long as I’m outside, I’m happy.
What’s your favourite place to visit locally?
Probably Porthtowan beach. It’s good for surfing, but even if the conditions aren’t right, you can just sit in the beach bar and watch the waves with some of their delicious ‘dirty fries’.
You’re originally from Shropshire. What brought you down to Cornwall?
My wife Jenna grew up here. We met at university in Newcastle, moved to Leeds for a few years, and then decided we wanted to be nearer family. We were planning to take a round-the-world trip first, but then COVID happened so we moved to Cornwall a bit earlier than planned. We ended up buying Jenna’s grandmother’s old house and have enjoyed renovating it over the last few years.
Have you managed to visit any of the places you were planning to go on your round-the-world trip?
Yes, we’ve ticked off a few places, including Las Vegas, New York and a few European cities. We got married in May 2022 and drove our camper van around France for three weeks for our honeymoon. We started in Paris, drove to Lake Annecy, down to the Verdon Gorge and then on to Saint-Tropez.
Do you have any career or personal achievements you’re particularly proud of?
I did a charity walk with a group of my friends in 2021. One of our friends sadly passed away just after we left school, so we walked up and down the Wrekin (a large hill in Shropshire) 10 times to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death. It took us 12 hours and (height wise) was the equivalent of climbing Ben Nevis three times.
We raised £2,457 for a charity called Head for Change, which was set up by a former Welsh rugby player called Alix Popham and his wife. It raises money for people who are affected by neurodegenerative difficulties, such as early onset dementia, as a result of sport.
If your house was burning down, what’s the one non-living thing you’d save?
My late father’s watch. Pretty much everything else can be replaced.
