St. James's Place Middle East: Jaid Wiltshire's journey from rugby to financial planning

Helping clients plan smarter with the same precision he once brought to the rugby field

As someone who has played rugby all over the world, Jaid Wiltshire, partner at wealth management firm St. James’s Place Middle East (SJP), knows all about adapting to different conditions and the importance of planning. Helping people with complex financial needs manage their international assets comes naturally to Jaid and the SJP team in Dubai.

Playing the notoriously physical game to a high level has already taken Jaid from the UK to Europe, the US, New Zealand, Dubai and back again, teaching him about discipline, focus, and commitment. While his days as a sports scholar and international student are behind him, his high-performance mentality has now been channelled into the world of financial services and wealth management.

“I’ve always been someone who immerses themselves in their passion,” he says. “Rugby has been a lifelong passion of mine, but I have since become fascinated with finance and investing. In particular, understanding the knowledge gap so many people have with their personal finances and investing.”

That drive to help others manage their finances and investments spurred Jaid to train as a financial adviser. “Selecting the right team to join was easy,” he says, as he landed a role at SJP, a global wealth manager with more than one million clients and $254bn (£198bn) of funds under management, with offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai.

“Having heard about SJP as the largest wealth management firm in the UK, I knew it was the best place to learn my craft,” he says. “Over the past six years, I have seen first-hand the investment SJP makes to better client outcomes, adviser development and its proposition. I can’t imagine other companies being able to achieve this on that kind of scale.”

Returning to the UAE

After starting out in SJP’s protection team, Jaid has built a wealth of knowledge across all areas of financial advice, supported by the UK giant. Helping individuals and business owners with their retirement, succession plans, investments, tax and complex cross-border assets is all part of his role in the growing SJP Middle East operation.

“The world of finance and investing can be a complex one, and I take great pride in helping people navigate it and use it to their advantage,” he says. “When I speak to clients, it’s more like speaking with a close friend, being open and honest rather than an interrogation. I don’t tell a client to do something I wouldn’t be willing to do myself,” he adds. “Despite being complex at times, being an advisor is about making it simple in many ways – and for clients, it’s about having someone in your corner who understands your situation.”

UK-listed SJP, known for its tailored, personalised approach to financial advice, has rapidly grown its client base in the UAE since receiving regulatory approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) two years ago. The firm has rolled out its unique brand of wealth management across the Middle East, shaping financial advice to individual circumstances and long-term goals, in contrast to the product-driven approach seen in the market historically.

In January, while Jaid was working in SJP’s Knightsbridge office in London, he was asked to join the SJP Middle East team in Dubai’s International Financial Centre (DIFC). He welcomed the opportunity to return to Dubai with his fiancée Emily after enjoying previous visits playing in the Dubai 7s tournament. Jaid also has a family connection to the Emirate.

“As a child, I used to travel here frequently as my dad worked here in the mid-2000s. Its ability to expand rapidly always attracted me to the region, a very welcoming and ambitious part of the world. I didn’t know it at the time, but thinking back, I probably always knew I would end up back in the UAE.”

Dual-licensed

SJP and other blue chip financial services firms have benefited from a surge of professionals, high-net-worth individuals and business owners into the Middle East from the UK, Europe and other regions in recent years. As an adviser who is fully licensed in the UK and UAE, Jaid is well placed to help expats with multiple assets across different jurisdictions manage the transition.

“As I have a dual license, I can advise in both countries, which many find very helpful with continuity of advice,” he says, noting inheritance tax planning, private equity and commercial property as areas of expertise across both markets.

“My typical clients in the UAE and in the UK are HNWI or business owners,” he adds. “I spend most of my working life helping this demographic diversify their wealth from the business or current structures. Running my own business within SJP, I understand some of the struggles and issues business owners face, while also understanding first-hand how to navigate challenges for them.”

For many people making the move to the Middle East, having a familiar wealth manager on board brings valuable peace of mind.

“Clients feel the benefit of having their hard-earned money managed by a company known and trusted back in the UK,” he says. “One of the benefits of moving to the UAE is the tried and tested organisations people instantly feel comfortable trusting.”

Future focus

As the UAE becomes a hotspot for global wealth and a major international financial centre, Jaid is positive about the outlook for the wealth management sector as more people head to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with complex financial needs, requiring bespoke advice.

“I have no doubt that SJP will go from strength to strength as we build and expand here,” Jaid adds. “Becoming the biggest wealth management firm in the UK, I’m convinced we will become the same in the UAE simply due to great client outcomes and our professional approach.”

Like so many others who have moved to the UAE in recent years, Jaid is happy to put down roots in Dubai. True to his approach as an adviser, he’s playing the long game.

To connect with Jaid, visit https://partnership.sjp.asia/partner/jaidwiltshireuae

And to learn more about St. James’s Place, visit https://www.sjp.asia/ae.

Disclaimer: The 'St. James's Place Partnership' and the titles 'Partner', 'Adviser', 'Partner Practice', or any variations thereof, are marketing terms used to describe representatives of the St. James's Place Group ('SJP Group'). St. James's Place (Middle East) Limited ('SJPME') is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and is authorised to conduct the Financial Services of 'Advising on Financial Products' and 'Arranging Deals in Investments' in and from the Dubai International Financial Centre (‘DIFC’). DFSA Firm Reference Number F003486. Registered Address: Gate District Precinct Building 03, Units 706, 707 & 708, Level 7, DIFC, United Arab Emirates. SJPME is part of the SJP Group. Members of the St. James's Place Partnership in the DIFC are appointed by and represent SJPME and may facilitate business with other companies within the SJP Group.