Lauren Fowler is our Client Services Manager and has worked in financial services since 2016. Having previously been part of the Citrus Financial team, we were delighted to welcome her back in 2021.
Anyone who knows Lauren will know she brings plenty of energy to the office. She is bubbly, confident, brilliantly direct, and always ready to help. She is also one of the people colleagues turn to when they need guidance, a second opinion, or help unpicking something technical.
In this interview, Lauren talks about discovering a love of learning, returning to Citrus, working closely with Craig Brady, mentoring newer members of the team, life on the Ashdown Forest, and why her perfect day involves her family, her horse Blackjack, and two very well-behaved dogs.
How did you first get into financial services?
When I was at school, I really didn’t think I would end up working in financial services. In fact, some of my teachers might be quite amazed that I’ve gone on to have a career like this!
Both my mum and dad worked in financial services. They worked for NPI in Tunbridge Wells, then AXA, before my dad moved to a company that specialised in Defined Benefit pensions.
After I left school, I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do, so I took an opportunity at that Defined Benefit pension company. I didn’t really think it would go anywhere, but I absolutely loved it.
I loved being involved, and I discovered a passion for learning that I don’t think I’d really had at school. All of a sudden, I wanted to learn and understand everything.
You’re Diploma qualified. What made you decide to study for the Diploma in Financial Planning?
It comes back to that thirst for knowledge.
I decided that if I was going to work in this industry and help people, I wanted to understand it properly. I didn’t just want to understand enough of the process to do the job. I wanted to know why things worked, how they fitted together, and how everything linked.
I didn’t study for the Diploma because I specifically wanted to become a financial adviser, although that may be something I look at in the future. I did it because I wanted to understand more about financial advice and be able to support advisers and clients as well as possible.
For me, it was about knowing as much as I could, not just the minimum needed to get by.
You were previously part of the Citrus team, left, and then rejoined in 2021. What brought you back?
I left Citrus because an opportunity came along. I wasn’t particularly looking for a change, but it sounded like a great role, setting up a paraplanning team for another company.
I really enjoyed that experience, but once I had set the team up, it became apparent there wasn’t an awful lot left for me to do. I was comfortable and I liked the company, but I need to be busy, and I need to be challenged.
Then Craig contacted me to say a new opportunity had opened up at Citrus, working directly with him as his main support. We had worked together for a long time before, and we had a really close working relationship.
I thought, “I need something that challenges me day in, day out, and Craig can definitely be challenging!” So, it just felt too good to turn down.
I had always loved working at Citrus, and the opportunity to come back and work closely with Craig again was one I couldn’t pass up. I haven’t looked back.
"For me, it was about knowing as much as I could, not just the minimum needed to get by”
How has Citrus changed?
When I first joined Citrus, there were only a few of us, so everyone did a bit of everything to get things over the line.
The most obvious change is that the business has grown. We now have a much bigger adviser team, including our mortgage and protection advisers, and the overall structure is much stronger.
There is more specialist support in place now, including technical administrators working closely with advisers. That makes a huge difference.
Citrus has always delivered brilliant client service, but I think the level of support we can now give clients and advisers has moved to another level.
... and what has stayed the same?
The atmosphere and the type of people.
The team has grown, but Citrus has managed to keep the same values. It sounds like a cliché, but we have always put the client at the centre of what we do, and that hasn’t changed.
If anything, we have got even better at looking after clients because the support around them is stronger.
The team spirit, the friendliness, and the fact that everyone genuinely wants to do a great job have always been part of Citrus. We have been really careful to keep hold of that as the business has grown.
For clients who may not know, what does a Client Services Manager do day to day?
No two days are the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about the role.
It can involve something relatively straightforward, such as getting letters of authority in place for clients, sending those out and chasing product providers. But it can also involve much more technical support, particularly around complex areas such as VCTs, EISs and detailed investment work.
That is what makes the role so varied and challenging. You need the knowledge and experience to understand what is being recommended, why it matters, and how each part of the process fits together.
A lot of my role is about making sure things keep moving, that advisers have the support they need, and that clients are kept updated throughout the process.
You work particularly closely with Craig Brady. What does that support involve?
Craig never shies away from technical advice, so he is always challenging me with detailed and intricate financial planning work that I need to understand in order to support him properly.
That means my knowledge has to keep developing. I can’t stand still, because the advice we are helping to deliver can be quite technical.
Craig and I have worked together for a long time now, and we have built a way of working that works well for both of us. As much as it pains me to tell him this, he is very good at what he does!
He is also incredibly busy, so part of my role is knowing when to step in, take things off his desk and help keep everything moving. Sometimes that means encouraging him to pass things over to me sooner, so I can support him properly.
I am really proud of the working relationship we have built. I know how to support him, he trusts me to get involved, and I think we make an excellent team.
“Good client service is about keeping people informed, making sure they know what is happening, and helping them feel they have nothing to worry about.”
What do you enjoy most about working closely with advisers and helping client cases progress?
I love being challenged and I love learning. Working closely with the advisers means there is always something different to get involved with.
Although I mainly work with Craig, one of the great things about Citrus is that we now have a wider team of technical administrators and advisers. If someone is away, we can all step in and support one another.
I also love seeing the journey clients go on over time. Someone might first come to us and dip a toe into investing, perhaps starting with something straightforward like an ISA. Then, over the years, the relationship grows, the trust builds, and their planning becomes more developed.
One of the most satisfying moments is when a client gets closer to retirement and realises they may have more options than they thought. Sometimes that might mean they can retire a little earlier, or feel more confident about the income they could have in retirement.
To see that journey unfold, and to know we have played a part in helping them get there, is really lovely.
What does good client service mean to you?
Putting clients first.
In financial advice, there are lots of moving parts. The process can involve product providers, insurers, lenders and other companies, and they don’t always move at the pace we would like them to.
For clients, especially if they are not familiar with the industry, it can be frustrating if things take longer than expected. That is why communication is so important.
Even if there is no major update, we still want clients to know where things are, that we are still chasing, and that we haven’t put anything down. We want them to feel reassured that we are on it and working for them.
Good client service is about keeping people informed, making sure they know what is happening, and helping them feel they have nothing to worry about.
What might clients be surprised to learn about the work that goes on behind the scenes?
Probably the level of day-to-day involvement.
If an application or investment takes several weeks to go from paperwork to completion, it may feel from the outside as though nothing is happening. But behind the scenes, we are usually chasing, checking, contacting providers, and updating the client.
There are lots of things we cannot directly control. We can’t make a provider, lender or insurer move faster than they are able to, but we can keep on top of things and make sure nothing is missed.
I think clients might be surprised by how much work is going on even when something appears to be taking a while.
“I like to feel useful. I like knowing I can help.”
You are known for helping and mentoring newer members of the team. What advice would you give to someone starting out in financial services?
Learn as much as you can. You need to be prepared to constantly develop your knowledge because this industry can be technical, complicated and very detailed.
It is not enough to learn just enough to complete a task. Take your time and understand the whole process. Understand how the work you are doing fits into the wider advice journey.
That makes everything make much more sense. It helps you develop, it helps your colleagues, and ultimately it leads to a better outcome for the client.
What are you most proud of in your role?
I am really proud of the relationship I have built with Craig and the length of time we have worked together.
We started at Citrus not too far apart, and we have now worked together for almost 10 years. We know how each other works, we understand each other’s strengths, and we have built a really strong partnership.
I am also proud of the support I can give to the wider team. I like being someone people can come to for help, whether that is an adviser needing technical input or a newer member of staff who wants to understand how something works.
I like to feel useful. I like knowing I can help.
When you’re not working, what does life look like for you?
Busy! Busy and outdoors. I love being outside. I have a horse called Blackjack, who is now 24, and I have always loved riding.
Even at school, when everyone else was being a teenager, I was often thinking about the fact that I needed to be up at 6am the next morning to clean out the stables, ride, and then muck out again later.
It gave me a lot of discipline, but I have always absolutely loved it.
How do you balance work, family life and everything else?
You have to be organised.
I’m organised at work, and I have to be just as organised outside work. There is family life, childcare, looking after Blackjack, two dogs, Alfie and Luna, and everything else that comes with a busy household.
If I wasn’t organised, it simply wouldn’t work. For me, balancing everything comes down to planning, structure and just getting on with it.
What do you most enjoy about being outside?
My perfect day now is when we can all be out together.
My daughter is old enough to ride her bike, my husband can walk with her, I can ride Blackjack, and the dogs can come along too.
All of us together on the Ashdown Forest is my perfect day.
What makes the Ashdown Forest so special to you?
I have grown up on it. The Ashdown Forest is right on my doorstep, and I spent my whole childhood in it, on it and around it. I don’t think people always realise how big it is. It’s huge.
I have ridden there all my life and there are still times when I get lost. But one of the joys of Blackjack is that he is a bit like a homing pigeon.
I might suddenly stop, look around and think, “Where on earth have I got to?” I’ll try to turn left, and he simply won’t go left. At that point, I know he knows better than I do.
If I’m lost, I just let him lead the way, and he gets us back to the stables. It’s absolutely brilliant.
Quickfire Round
Tea or coffee?
Tea. Every time.
Early bird or night owl?
A bit of both really, but since having a child, definitely more of an early bird.
Beach holiday, countryside break or city escape?
Beach holiday. I have a love of Benidorm, and my husband and daughter have been forced to indulge that love.
Horse ride, dog walk or family day out?
All three combined. That is my perfect day.
Favourite film or TV series?
I don’t have much time to watch TV now, but Friends has always been my favourite. I’ve watched every episode so many times, but if I get five minutes and it happens to be on, I’ll happily sit and watch it again.
Best book, podcast or album you’d recommend?
I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book, I’ve never listened to a podcast, and I don’t really listen to music. I just don’t have the time!
Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Challenge yourself. Get out of your comfort zone, because otherwise you never know what you might be capable of.
You can meet more members of the team here.
Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited. 22/07/2026
