Meet the team part one – Jon Dunckley
I set up Fortica in 2006 as an exam training side hustle. At the time I was working as Head of Technical Services for a major life insurance company but I’d had to sell my little fun car to meet the huge cost associated with the arrival of my first-born. I wanted it back and saw this as a good way getting back my beloved Toyota Celica. I never did get the car, but the business has been successful for long enough that my son now works with me.
By 2011, Fortica reached the kind of size that needed full-time attention. It had moved well beyond a side hustle and I realised it was time to quit the ‘day job’ and concentrate all my attention on expanding into a much wider range of training support, as well as offering technical writing and consultancy services. The rest, as they say, is history. Ten years later, Fortica is going strong, and I’ve never looked back. We’ve trained thousands of people and been involved in writing everything from press articles to entire textbooks.
Life many people, I fell into Financial Services rather than seeking it out. Having graduated from Leeds with a degree in Psychology, I found myself at a loose end. My then girlfriend was poorly and needed regular trips to the hospital. The only job that offered me a company car was a junior financial adviser role, so 2+2 became a career that is now half-way through its third decade.
Never one to stand still, as soon as I started work, I embarked on a process of devouring exams that has led me to the point where I’m now:
- A Fellow of the Personal Finance Society
- A Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments
- A Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management
- A Certified and Chartered Financial Planner
- The holder of a Master’s degree in Financial Planning and Business Management
I’m also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and I’ve recently applied to upgrade that to Fellowship too, because, you know, four Fellowships is better than three!
Whilst much of my time is spent on the day-to-day running of the business, I’m also heavily involved in client work. I personally triage every enquiry in the first instance and then either work with the most appropriate associate or undertake the work myself depending on the nature of the work and the needs of the client.
I’ve got pretty wide-ranging technical expertise, from protection to pensions via investments and taxation, but my real niche is the later life market where I’m very active in both equity release and long-term care. I’m also passionate about skills training and regularly train on management development, successful presenting and building resilience.
I’m married to Madeline (who is also involved in the business), and I’ve got three sons who run me almost as ragged as my Lhasa Apso puppy. In what spare time I get, I don’t stand still. I’m a keen cyclist – I’ve cycled John O’Groats to Lands End and even completed a 200-mile lap of Mallorca in a single day. For the last 6 years I’ve been involved in Ironman triathlon. If you’re not familiar with it, it consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and then a full 26.2 mile marathon, one after the other! I only entered my first one because I never learned to swim as a child and I needed a reason to force me to learn. Eight months later I’d completed my first race and now here I am, still promising the next one will be my last…
I’m always happy to have a chat if you have a training requirement or need some technical / skills-based support. If I can’t help, I’ll often point you toward someone who can. You can reach me on 07427 662933.