Okay so we haven’t fundamentally changed what we do here at Altor but we are very keen on constant iteration. Iteration is a process of regular, small upgrades to get to a desired state. We believe in constantly trying to make our service better, not for the benefit of us but for the benefit of our clients. Most finance firms we know are focussed solely on profit. As profit margin is the difference between what you charge and your costs this often drives the behaviour of tightly controling costs (by not changing anything) to boost profits.

By contrast we are always excited to find ways that we can invest in what we do for clients and improve it. So a small but important announcement for us today. Following application to the CII recently we have achieved Chartered Firm status. Although our three advisers are all Chartered already (and two are Fellows of the CII – the highest status by qualification) it is important that as a firm we are also assessed.

Chartered firm status is an important validation that we have an ethical code, put customers’ interests first and invest in ongoing development of our people’s technical skills and knowledge.

By achieving Chartered status this business has publicly committed to a customer-first approach. We commend the business for showing commitment to the Chartered ethos.

Sian Fisher, Chief Executive of the Chartered Insurance Institute