I’m Alex Stephens, founder of Oaksteer and an experienced operational leader in UK financial services. I set up Oaksteer to give growing financial planning and wealth management firms access to commercially astute, pragmatic, strategic operational leadership without the cost or complexity of hiring a full-time COO.

Over the past 13 years, I’ve held senior operations leadership roles across the industry, including at Investec Wealth & Investment, as Head of Operations and later COO at Strabens Hall, and as COO at D’Arblay Wealth. My work has spanned business transformation, risk and compliance, client servicing and operational strategy, giving me a deep, hands-on understanding of the entire advice and investment lifecycle.

I combine strategic thinking with practical delivery. Whether it’s re-engineering processes, implementing risk frameworks, guiding technology adoption or supporting board-level decision-making, I bring clarity, structure and momentum to every engagement.

Clients value my ability to cut through complexity and deliver results. I help firms reduce friction, manage risk and build the operational headroom to grow. I also care deeply about culture and capability, and empowering internal teams is central to how I work.

Oaksteer provides flexible, independent support that delivers the impact of a senior operations leader without the long-term overhead. Whether you need fractional leadership, interim support or a trusted advisor during change, I’ll help you build an operation that supports your ambition.