Team Spotlight: Cian Callaghan, Head of Financial Planning

A great team is like a bus, it… wait a minute, that’s a rubbish metaphor. Let’s start again.

A great team is like a perfect cake. It looks great from the outside with all its embellishments and decorations. When you cut into it it’s structurally integral and has the perfect ratio of substantial sponge and light, sweet, securing icing between the layers. All the well-considered and meticulously assembled flavours and textures create one perfectly unified slice.

Now if Cian was a piece of cake, he’d be the colourful sprinkles on top. As it is, he’s not sprinkles. He’s our Head of Financial Planning here at Metis Ireland and we pinned him down for a quick team spotlight interview.

Hello Cian! We’re going to dive right in and ask you to describe the kind of work you do every day in just three words.

Try (to) add value.

I mean, we’re pretty sure that’s four but we’ll let it slide. What’s been your proudest moment at Metis Ireland?

We have a client who’s just turned 50 and has a young family. We helped him realise he had more than enough money to do all the things he wanted to do and look after his family.

He’s recently left his job to spend more time with his family and set up his own business doing something he loves. I was pretty proud that our advice in part led to someone making such a huge decision for all the right reasons.

That’s so heartwarming, and it’s exactly why we do the job we do. Helping people to have those breakthroughs and achieve their goals is incredibly satisfying. Cian, tell us the quote or phrase that goes through life with you.

We actually used this on the Metis Wednesday Wisdom recently I think? And I’ll paraphrase poorly “don’t try to be a man of success but rather a man of value”.

Ah yes, it’s an Einstein quote. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value”. You were close! Let’s get nosy, what’s in your Metis LifePlan?

Well I’m just recently married so that was on it up until last August.
The next step, we hope, is to start a family and move to a bigger house. And someday, if I’m rich and famous, a holiday home by the sea in Wesht Clare.

The first celebrity Financial Planner. Remember us when you reach the top, won’t you? Cian, where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

This is a tough question for someone who doesn’t like flying so I’m going to cheat a little bit.
I find people more interesting than places, so anywhere on the West Coast of Ireland with my friends, where I can drink a good pint of Guinness and just chat with my buddies.

This is your second cheat of the quiz, and we’ll let it slide again but you don’t get a third one! Who is your hero and why?

My dad. He taught me how to be a good person, how to be a man, and how to work hard for what you want. And Jordan B. Peterson for reminding me of these values because I didn’t listen to my dad the first time he told me.

Just you wait until your future kids do the same to you and ignore your advice. If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

You don’t have to be a nice person to be a good person. Just focus on what’s effective rather than what sounds good. (And for the love of god don’t start smoking!)

Very sound advice, and a lovely note to finish on. Thank you Cian!