Joseph Darby

Meet the CEO of Become Wealth

After 15 years in uniform, Joseph Darby was seeking a new challenge. He found it as the Chief Executive Officer of Become Wealth (formerly Milestone Direct), a financial advice and discretionary investment management service provider.

While rising to the rank of Major in the Army, Joseph served operational tours in Iraq, the Sinai (bordering Gaza), East Timor, and twice to Afghanistan. With a three-week gap between his last deployment and starting his current role about seven years ago, Joseph swapped body armour and middle eastern heat for a suit and an airconditioned office in Auckland.

Joseph’s Journey to Financial Advice

Like most people who joined the Army around the same time, Joseph deployed frequently. One benefit of this was operational allowances that quickly accumulated, as there was little opportunity to spend them. After more than his fair share of financial mistakes, Joseph realised financial literacy and knowledge was a necessity, which ultimately set him on the path to becoming a financial adviser.

Another benefit of being in uniform was taxpayer-funded university education. Joseph studied in a few different areas and soon found business appealed, completing a diploma, bachelor’s degree, and ultimately Masters of Management with an International Business major.

Career Transition

At the time, Joseph’s career change from Army officer to CEO raised a few eyebrows, though he thinks the change isn’t as dramatic as most people might expect. Joseph has found that being a CEO and an Army Officer have a lot in common. “While in financial services there is plenty of technical and legal information to learn then apply, that aside, the demands placed on both roles are a lot more similar than you might first think. Some areas that are remarkably similar include people skills, the pursuit of excellence, managing competing demands, an ever-shifting competitive landscape driving innovation, expectations of continual improvement, high risks, adaptability, and of course leadership.”

Research might support Joseph’s view. One study concluded ex-military firms with ex-military executives have better sales growth, cost efficiency and operating performance than do firms with non-military executives. Another study suggested CEOs with a military background tend to perform better during periods of industry distress.

In addition to his leadership role, Joseph met the requirements to become a financial adviser, which proves he has worked hard to understand the regulation and practicalities of delivering a financial service.

Financial Advice and Joseph

While Joseph doesn’t usually have capacity to personally provide financial advice anymore, he was struck by the impact being a financial adviser could have on people’s lives.

“Especially when people come to a fork in the road of life, or when substantial transitions occur such as retirement, it’s quite inspiring to see the change in people you assist with life and financial decisions. Our money, after all, is usually just a reflection of our life choices.”

Joseph finds that helping others achieve their life goals and dreams is by far the most rewarding side of the industry, again drawing the comparison that it’s not so different to looking out for his soldier’s interests during live operations overseas.

Continual Growth and Development

“The world is changing fast, and financial services is no different” says Joseph.

That’s part of the appeal of financial services: Joseph needs to stay constantly updated on new developments in the industry, including evolving rules in what is a heavily regulated industry.

“It’s not just regulation and legislation changes, either. There’s always another course to take, webinar to watch, conference to attend, or new development to read up on. Like most fields, you’re constantly having to ‘sharpen your axe’”.

Teamwork at Become Wealth

Knowledge needs to be constantly shared among the team at Become Wealth, too. This ensures everyone is continually improving as individuals.

Aside from partnering with clients to assist them achieve their dreams, Joseph’s favourite thing about Become Wealth is the team-orientated culture. There’s mutual respect, a can-do attitude, honesty, transparency, and the sense that everyone is on the same side.

Life Beyond Finance

When Joseph isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time outdoors, staying fit, and travelling.

For more insights and updates from Joseph, you can connect with him on LinkedIn.