Meet the Founder: Frederika of F&O Wealth
Personal Background & Inspiration
What inspired you to start this business?
I began my career at a huge organisation—one of 176,000 employees, to be exact! Over time, I found myself gravitating toward smaller and smaller companies. When my previous employer was acquired by a much larger firm, I knew it was time. That was the push I needed to launch F&O Wealth and build something of my own.
Can you share a bit about your background and how it led you to this venture?
Straight out of university, I joined the graduate scheme at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBoS), working in the unsecured personal loans department. It was a brilliant start to my career and gave me experience across different areas of the business.
After a few years, I moved to London to work at Octopus Investments as a Product Manager. I loved that job—and Octopus was an incredibly inspiring place to be, especially during its early growth. I got to work with some truly fantastic people.
Eventually, I decided to move back up north to be closer to family. I joined Best Practice as a Project Manager, helping financial advice firms join their network. This role involved a lot of travel (sadly not to exotic places!), but it gave me a real insight into the world of financial advice—and the spark I needed to start studying for my qualifications.
I completed my Diploma and was lucky enough to join the launch of a North West branch for the firm that owned Best Practice. That’s where I began my journey as a Financial Adviser, working with local clients and building meaningful relationships.
My studying didn’t stop there. I went on to achieve Chartered status, my Fellowship, and later my SOLLA (Society of Later Life Advisers) accreditation. I studied for so long that when I finally hit my Fellowship goal, I found myself asking, “What’s next?”
Did you always know you wanted to be a business owner?
Absolutely. I come from a very entrepreneurial family—businesses ranging from piano teaching to air conditioning and design. I always knew I’d run my own business one day; I just wasn’t sure when.
After completing my qualifications, the timing felt right. I wanted to create something that reflected my values, with clients truly at the heart of everything. That’s how F&O Wealth was born.
The Business & Its Mission
What’s the story behind your company’s name?
“F” stands for Frederika (that’s me!) and “O” is for Oliver, my husband. His business is called F&O Homes—he’s a Chester-based property developer. My clients often ask about his latest projects, and since there are so many links between finance and property, it made sense to carry the F&O brand across.
What values are most important to you and your business?
I genuinely love helping people—and that’s why I’m in this business. If you ask most Financial Advisers why they do what they do, I bet many would say the same.
At F&O Wealth, everything revolves around the client. Every decision we make is designed to support them. I'm especially passionate about creating resources and materials that are clear, valuable, and actually helpful—something clients can easily understand and use to track their financial journey.
Day-to-Day Life as a Founder
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different, which is what I love about this role. A typical day might include:
Catch-ups with my administrator to stay on top of client cases.
Client meetings—my favourite part of the job! I love getting out there, meeting people, and learning how I can support them.
Networking with other professionals like Accountants and Solicitors, so I can connect my clients with trusted experts.
Working on business processes and refining documentation to make everything run smoothly.
And that’s just scratching the surface!
What’s your favourite part of running this business?
It’s the agility. Someone recently described it as being like a speedboat—and that really stuck with me. If I want to make a change that will benefit clients, I can implement it quickly (well, after a quick chat with Compliance!).
At larger firms, changes could take ages, with approvals needed from multiple departments. I love being able to move fast and adapt to what’s best for my clients.
That’s a little bit about me and how F&O Wealth came to be!
If you're curious about how I can help with your financial goals, feel free to get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.