En Voyage_Issue#11_Flickbook

Business
FACES OF BUSINESS
RICHARD BRISCOE
With extensive experience in the finance industry and 15 years at
Managing Director level, Richard is at the helm of the business
ensuring the team maintain the 50 years of Close Finance’s
customer care in the islands, while ever looking to expand the
business. Richard spends his down-time exploring the islands and
discovering hidden beach cafés.
How do you start off your
working day?
Where is your favourite
place in the world?
What single achievement
are you most proud of?
Breakfast with my family followed
by a short cycle along the seafront
to drop my daughter at nursery, and
then back up the seafront on my
three-speed bike with a basket. A
most pleasant commute compared
to previous years spent in the UK.
How would you describe
your leadership style?
Approachable and encouraging but
determined. I hate complacency
and believe to retain a customer
you have to go the extra mile. As
part of a great team, I recognise
that there is huge amount of
experience to draw upon within the
business and so I value the team’s
views before making decisions.
Do you travel much in
your role?
I used to spend a lot of time on
motorways and trains so now the
thought of a quick flight between
the two Channel Island offices
is a pleasure. I also travel once a
month to our head office in the
UK. One aspect of living in the
Channel Islands is that it is easy to
talk face-to-face with customers and
this personal approach really helps
build and cement relationships.
I love travelling and have been
fortunate enough to have trekked
to Everest base camp, climbed
Kilimanjaro and seen the sun rise on
Machu Picchu. With a young family
now, I’m not quite as adventurous
but we recently returned from
staying in a tree house in Thailand
and we washed an elephant in the
river. Favourite place is a difficult
choice between Cape Town,
Kathmandu and Angkor Wat.
How do you maintain a
healthy work/life balance?
I have found it very difficult in
the past as I am quite a driven
person, and was probably guilty of
spending too much time thinking
of work. Moving to the Channel
Islands was the best decision I
have made and I feel I have finally
found a good work/life balance
– my family certainly think so.
How would you
quantify success?
Being satisfied with what you have
achieved. If you feel you have given
your best to something, be it work
related, a sporting achievement or
parenting, then this is enough.
I spent a long time rowing both
at school and in my early working
life and represented England on
several occasions. I was fortunate
to train alongside the Olympic
squad at Leander Club in Henley
on Thames for seven years
and compete at Henley Royal
Regatta. These guys, many of
whom were Olympic medallists
or went on to win Olympic
medals, were very inspirational.
What’s the best piece of
advice you were ever given?
Don’t fill a wine glass up to the
top – there is always another
bottle that can be opened.
As a child, what did you want
to be when you grew up?
A pilot for the sheer sense of
adventure and travel. Finance can
be adventurous at times too!
What is the last thing
you think about at the
end of the day?
I try to think about something
positive that has happened in my
personal or professional life or an
event that I am looking forward to.
110 En Voyage | Aurigny’s Magazine