5 minutes with…Ben Keeley

What makes Coole Bevis Wealth Management (CBWM) stand out from the rest is our people and their commitment to having great relationships with their clients, and with their colleagues.

In our ‘Five minutes with…’ series we meet some of the great team at Coole Bevis Wealth Management. We posed various sets of questions to people across our firm to provide a glimpse into their lives and perspectives.

We catch up this week with Financial Planning Manager, Ben Keeley!

Tell is about yourself

I am Ben Keeley, one of the Financial Planning Managers at Coole Bevis Wealth Management, working primarily in the Gatwick office. I was born and raised in East Sussex, but went to school in Kent before attending The University of Birmingham. I completed a year of my degree at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and combined this with extensive travelling in western Canada and western USA. My degree is in biology and physics, with a focus on the genetic basis of cancer. I joined Coole Bevis Wealth Management in May 2021, in my first role in the financial services industry. I completed my Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning through the Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) in 2022 and I also hold the Certificate in Discretionary Investment Management. I started my current role as a Financial Planning Manager in April 2025.

What is the best career/professional advice anyone has given you?

“Try and learn at least one new thing every day”. This came from one of my tutors at university as a revision and study tip but can be applied to most circumstances. The “thing” can be about yourself, about someone else, about something you need to know, about something you want to know or about something you never expected to know! I am an avid reader, which certainly helps with this, but I’m also naturally inquisitive about almost everything. In the early stages of a career, as I am right now, this advice goes a long way towards development in the practical and technical aspects of the work. Plus in day-to-day life it makes you a desirable teammate for a pub quiz!

What do you value most about working at Coole Bevis Wealth Management?

The support of my colleagues and the firm in my training, both on the job and for my exams. I completed my Diploma within 18 months and was then given the opportunity to move from Sales Support to Paraplanning and eventually to Advising. The team have always been happy to set aside time for a chat to support my progress and I would not have got to my current role as a Financial Planning Manager without all their support.

Outside of work, what keeps you busy?

My main activity outside of work is cricket. I played for the same club from the age of 9 until this year when I relocated to Haywards Heath. I play regularly in the Sussex Cricket League. I am a qualified coach and umpire as well. I also like to cook and enjoy experimenting with and trying new food and drink. My latest experiment has been a pizza stone (with mixed results). I am also a keen traveller and always try local food and drink when I can. Highlights include elk poutine in Canada, octopus paella in The Galapagos Islands and homemade wine in Romania (ABV unknown).

What are your plans for the future?

When I started in 2021 my long-term goal was to become an Adviser, and I am proud to have now achieved this. I’ve started studying for my Advanced Diploma and would like to obtain Chartered status in the next couple of years. Away from work I have a long list of travel destinations for the future, including Central America, Japan, Vietnam, and New Zealand so I hope to be able to find the time to travel the world in between studying, exams and work.  

Find out more about ways in which we can help you by getting in touch with our team on 01903 534587.