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Bespoke service – Azalea Wealth Management MD Harrison Smith.
How Azalea Wealth Management is reshaping Teesside’ s workplace culture
CULTIVATING SUCCESS
WORDS: PAUL FRASER
Attracting and retaining top-tier talent requires far more than just a competitive monthly wage. Forward-thinking Teesside businesses are increasingly recognising that building a thriving workplace culture means looking after the financial and physical wellbeing of their teams.
Azalea Wealth Management, based out of Hartlepool’ s Innovation Centre, is demonstrating exactly how bespoke financial planning can transform a company’ s working environment, boosting morale and significantly improving staff retention rates.
A prime example of this blossoming approach is Azalea’ s highly successful partnership with Stockton-based Southern Asset Management.
What began as a consultation to help the company’ s CEO, Steve Southern, on a personal level has evolved into a comprehensive, company-wide benefits package that rewards the entire workforce.
Harrison Smith, managing director at Azalea, said:“ We wanted to build a package that solidifies Steve’ s philosophy of people before profit.
“ The process began working with Steve on an individual basis, understanding exactly what he wanted from his business on a personal level.
“ Most business owners are very quick to get lost in the running of their business while forgetting why they actually got into business in the first place.”
For company directors at the top of the tree, Azalea’ s expertise provides essential security. The focus is on managing their own packages, building value and ensuring business longevity.
Harrison said:“ It is about managing
what they are taking from the business, how to be more tax efficient and looking at investments such as pensions, for argument’ s sake- ensuring that as a key individual in the business, they need to know their importance and significance, and to make sure it is protected.
“ Not only is that important for them as individuals, but also for the longevity and security of the business in the future.”
Azalea offers a suite of executive products, including key person protection, shareholder protection and executive income protection, as well as high-level corporate investments and pensions tailored to the business’ s specific makeup. But the real magic of the partnership was realised when these benefits flowed through the company. Driven by Steve’ s vision, Azalea developed a bespoke financial planning package designed to keep the entire Southern Asset Management workforce smiling.
Steve said:“ Working with Harrison and the team at Azalea has been a revelation for our business. They didn’ t just look at my personal finances, they completely understood our company ethos.
“ By helping us implement a tailored benefits package, they have allowed us to genuinely look after our people and their families.
“ It proves that our‘ people before profit’ values are more than just words, creating an environment where our team feels valued and secure.”
These employee-focused benefits include specialist insurance, death in service cover, personal financial planning sessions and engaging financial wellbeing workshops where Azalea experts go into the workplace to educate staff.
Benefitting – Southern Asset Management MD Steve Southern.
Harrison said:“ It is not just as simple as providing a salary for staff nowadays, it goes beyond that.
“ You want to be able to affect people’ s lives at home as well as at work in a positive manner. If you can, for example, offer private medical insurance as a benefit to a workforce where their families can be included too, clearly that creates a positive working environment and culture where people are happy to spend their working lives.
“ What price can you put on that as a benefit?”
Azalea’ s bespoke packages are designed to bridge the gap between boardroom security and employee satisfaction.
“ We will work with the business to find out what the challenges are, what the make-up of their business looks like and what they feel is their shortfall,” Harrison added.
“ We work with the business to build a package that will benefit their staff members, from owner to new starter.
“ No two businesses are the same, and implementing these benefits is often not as expensive as you might think. There are a million different options available.”
The value of an investment with St. James’ s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds you select and the value can therefore go down as well as up. You may get back less than you invested.
Azalea Wealth Management is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’ s Place Wealth Management plc( which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the group’ s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the group’ s website www. sjp. co. uk / products. The‘ St. James’ s Place Partnership’ and the titles‘ Partner’ and‘ Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’ s Place representatives. Azalea Wealth Management is a trading name of Azalea Wealth Management Ltd. SJP Approved 11 / 05 / 2026
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