How did you get into probate genealogy?

I was 18 years old and working in the financial services sector as an office junior when I received a call from the recruiter (who still does our recruitment to this day) to offer me an interview with a ‘probate genealogy’ company. Like many other new starters I had no clue what it was but once it was described to me it sounded so interesting I knew I wanted to do it as my job.

What does a normal day look like for you?

I’ll have to respond with the cliché phrase “there is no such thing as a ‘normal day’” and it is largely true. Managing the International Team of 9 people, and speaking with clients across the world, we face different successes and challenges on a daily basis. The world of international probate genealogy is constantly evolving so if ever I do start to have ‘normal days’ there is probably something I am missing out on either with clients, cases, or research methodology.

What is your most memorable case to date?

I think the cases where I visited heirs in person stick out in my memory the most. I have gone from spending a day with an heir on a housing estate in North London, to skating down an icy street in Montreal trying to find an heir to a USD$10 million estate. The people you meet, or speak to on the phone, are the ones who really define our experience of a case and you never really know who you are going to come across during the research of a case.

What do you love most about working at Finders?

I have to say, hands down, I love the people. From the day I started at the company 20 years ago, when there was half a dozen of us in a converted flat in South Kensington, to now managing a team and meeting people through the company (now at over 150 employees) and partners around the world, the interactions are always professional and insightful but we know how to unwind and have fun together too. Seeing people in the team enjoy each other’s company, thrive in their careers, and make potentially lifelong friends is something that will always make me feel very satisfied with working at Finders.

Away from genealogy, if you could do any other job in the world, what would you do and why? Dream big!

I often think that if I could have my time again I would have liked to have worked in the healthcare sector. Whenever I am in a hospital and I see the people committing themselves to helping others it always strikes a special cord within me. The energy of those places, although mixed with trauma and struggles, genuinely makes me feel the most content with humanity and pleased there are people like that in the world.