How world class data drives world class BD

Data-Driven Wealth Management Strategies

Filmed live at the Summit for Wealth Management 2025 in London, this special episode of FinTech Focus TV captures a timely and insightful conversation between Toby Babb, CEO of Harrington Starr, and Toby Brown, Senior Account Executive at Beauhurst. In a fast-changing landscape where FinTech recruitment, private equity, and wealth management are colliding in increasingly sophisticated ways, this episode offers a valuable roadmap for those looking to capitalise on data-led business development.

Harnessing FinTech Data to Improve Wealth Management Outcomes

Beauhurst is a UK-based data platform that aggregates detailed information on every private company across the country. From directors and shareholders to key decision-makers and funding events, the platform delivers a comprehensive view of the UK’s private company ecosystem. In this conversation, Toby Brown unpacks how Beauhurst equips private banks, wealth managers, and financial advisors with the insights they need to connect early with high-potential clients—specifically, those on the road to realising substantial liquidity events.

Rather than focusing exclusively on individuals who have already completed a business exit and amassed wealth, Beauhurst provides a strategic advantage by identifying those on the path to exit. These are the clients of tomorrow—quietly successful founders approaching transformational financial events. For advisors, being the first to connect with them unlocks enormous opportunity. As Brown points out, it’s not just about knowing who’s wealthy now—it’s about knowing who will be.

The Shift from Reactive to Proactive Client Acquisition

Toby Babb and Toby Brown delve into the fundamental shift happening across wealth management—one that’s powered by data and defined by timing. Historically, financial advisors have competed for the attention of entrepreneurs and founders after their exit, when the wealth is already realised and the market is saturated with offers. But Beauhurst enables a move away from this reactive stance.

By helping professionals track equity funding events, sector trends, company growth signals, and even personal milestones like approaching retirement, Beauhurst allows advisors to begin conversations before the liquidity event takes place. This means they can start building trust earlier, embedding themselves into the client’s network and decision-making journey from a much more strategic vantage point.

This approach, grounded in FinTech data and market intelligence, dramatically increases the chances of conversion. Advisors are no longer trying to wedge themselves in post-exit—they are becoming a trusted partner much earlier in the wealth creation cycle.

Tackling the Misconceptions Around Sales in Financial Services

An essential insight from this episode is the cultural hesitation within the wealth management and advisory community around the concept of “sales.” As Brown explains, many advisors resist the idea of being called salespeople, even though building a book of business and winning new clients is at the heart of what they do. This mindset can prevent professionals from fully engaging in business development efforts that are, in fact, crucial for growth.

Beauhurst offers a subtle yet powerful reframing. By using intelligent data to identify who to speak to—and when—advisors can replace scattergun outreach with targeted, relevant conversations. This not only boosts conversion rates but also removes the sense of cold selling, which many professionals find off-putting. Instead, it becomes about helping, guiding, and connecting with people in a meaningful way, based on where they are in their entrepreneurial journey.

FinTech Tools for Time-Efficient Business Development

A major barrier to adopting new technology is the perception that it will add complexity. Brown addresses this directly, explaining that most advisors are already engaged in manual research—trawling Companies House, reading press releases, and conducting LinkedIn searches to identify prospects. What Beauhurst does is automate and enhance this process, making it significantly more efficient.

The example Brown gives is compelling: an advisor could create a filter for UK-based FinTech founders who have recently raised Series A funding. The system then sends weekly alerts identifying new individuals matching that profile. Rather than trying to chase every potential lead, the advisor can invest their time in nurturing those most likely to exit in the coming months or years.

In this way, data becomes a tool not for volume but for precision. It helps reduce the noise, cut down on wasted effort, and focus relationship-building on the right people. This is the essence of modern FinTech business development—deliberate, data-informed, and relationship-first.

Turning Cold Leads into Long-Term Client Relationships

Another standout point in this episode is the idea that successful client acquisition is rarely about the first phone call or email. It’s about gradually building a relationship, staying visible, and being present at the right moment. Beauhurst helps facilitate this by giving advisors early visibility into the journeys of thousands of private companies and individuals.

Brown shared a practical use case: a young advisor targeting FinTech founders. They create a custom search in Beauhurst, track relevant funding events, and initiate first contact via LinkedIn. From there, it’s a long-term play. The advisor keeps an eye on the founder’s trajectory, responds to funding updates, invites them to industry events, and begins to build rapport over time. When that founder eventually prepares to sell, they already have a trusted advisor in their corner.

This process—defined by data, supported by digital tools, and focused on human connection—is what sets successful advisors apart in today’s competitive wealth management market.

Insights from the Wealth Management Community

Given that this episode was filmed at the Summit for Wealth Management 2025, Brown and Babb took the opportunity to reflect on the broader conversations taking place at the event. One recurring theme was the evolving demographic of high-net-worth individuals. With younger founders creating wealth through tech and innovation, and with large intergenerational transfers of wealth underway, the profile of the affluent client is shifting.

Attendees also explored the importance of alternative investments, cross-border strategies, and the need for advisors to adapt their approach. In a world shaped by political and economic volatility, clients are craving grounded, thoughtful advice—not generic products or short-term tactics. The need for informed, consultative conversations has never been greater.

As Brown noted, wealth managers are being encouraged to have deeper conversations about legacy, succession, and long-term financial planning. Data isn’t replacing the human element—it’s enhancing it. And that’s a key message from this episode.

Beauhurst’s Vision for Growth in FinTech and European Markets

Looking ahead, Beauhurst is focused on scaling its platform across Europe. Having already established a leadership position in the UK market—driven by its commitment to deep, accurate data—the company is now expanding into Germany and beyond. Unlike broad international databases, Beauhurst offers specificity and insight at a granular level, which is exactly what wealth managers and FinTech professionals need.

This international expansion aligns perfectly with the global nature of today’s financial ecosystem. Entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors operate across borders. By providing a European-wide view of private company data, Beauhurst is equipping professionals with the tools they need to think bigger and act smarter.

For anyone involved in FinTech recruitment, business development, or client acquisition, this signals an exciting opportunity to leverage technology that truly understands local markets while supporting international growth.

The Role of FinTech Recruitment in Enabling Strategic Growth

At Harrington Starr, our work in FinTech recruitment gives us a front-row seat to the evolution of the sector. We see daily how data, technology, and advisory services are converging—and how that creates a need for new talent. Whether it’s hiring client acquisition specialists who understand platforms like Beauhurst, or onboarding data analysts to build more strategic lead generation engines, recruitment has a critical role to play.

This episode of FinTech Focus TV captures a moment of transition. It’s about embracing a more intelligent way to build relationships. It’s about shifting from volume to value. And most importantly, it’s about recognising that success in wealth management and FinTech is no longer defined by instinct alone—but by insight, timing, and precision.

Building the Right Teams to Navigate the New Wealth Landscape

As Beauhurst scales and platforms like it become essential to wealth management workflows, organisations must build teams with the right capabilities. That means hiring professionals who are not only comfortable with data but also capable of translating it into meaningful, human-led strategies. FinTech firms need account executives, client advisors, and sales professionals who can balance analytical rigour with emotional intelligence.

At Harrington Starr, we specialise in connecting these professionals with the companies that need them. Whether you’re scaling your data science function, hiring a FinTech business development lead, or growing your advisory network, we understand the importance of finding talent that aligns with your goals.

Conclusion: Why This Episode Matters for the Future of FinTech and Wealth Management

This episode of FinTech Focus TV featuring Toby Brown of Beauhurst offers more than just insight into a product—it’s a playbook for how wealth managers can adapt, thrive, and win in a data-driven world. It also reinforces the role that recruitment, relationship-building, and strategic thinking play in shaping the future of financial services.

By watching this episode, wealth managers, FinTech professionals, and financial advisors will gain a deeper understanding of how to use data not just for prospecting, but for cultivating long-term relationships. And for hiring managers and founders in the FinTech space, it’s a clear reminder that the right tools—and the right people—can make all the difference.