Former Hearts footballer Conrad Balatoni is kicking off a new career as a financial adviser as he prepares for life outwith the sport.
The 28-year-old has set up his own practice, Conrad Balatoni Wealth Management, which is a representative of St James’s Place Wealth Management.
“The older I got the more interested I became in this sector and I’m really looking forward to the future when I can look back and say this was the best decision I ever made”, he said.
“Anyone who has played with me or managed me knows I’m a very hard-working person and that will be the same in this new job.
“I will work as hard as I possibly can as a financial adviser to make this a success. You don’t get things handed to you on a plate in this world and I’m ready for the hard work that comes with building a successful business.”
The defender is currently in his second season with League Two part-timers Edinburgh City, and while he has no immediate plans to hang up his boots, he sees the current situation as ideal.
“I’d always thought I was going to have to make this career change sooner rather than later and it appeared that this was the right time to do it. I could play part-time, still have that enjoyment of playing at a competitive level while going through the transition of building the business for when I stop playing.
“The finance world has always been of interest to me and St James’s Place seemed the ideal fit as it provided training via their successful academy and the infrastructure to put solid foundations in place for a new business.
“I’m really looking forward to working as hard as I possibly can for my clients, building strong relationships and getting the business well established.
“I’ve been used to making decisions on the football pitch, now I’m also making decisions with clients about what’s best for them. It’s not just about investing, it’s planning for the future, planning for retirement, planning for a first home, etc.
“I want to make sure clients have their money working as hard as possible for them so they get the best opportunity to reach their goals and objectives.
“Going from a football environment to one of financial advising would seem a big change to people but I found it relatively straight forward as I have been used to speaking to people throughout my footballing career.
“The transition was always going to happen for me and I’ve got the best of both worlds now – playing football and setting up a business.”
Mr Balatoni has a UK-wide remit in his new career and can offer financial advice on everything from pension planning, protection planning, regular savings and inheritance tax planning.
The centre-half spent eight years at Hearts before playing for Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock, Ayr United, Falkirk and Torquay United before signing for Edinburgh City.
To find out more about his services, see: https://www.sjpp.co.uk/conradbalatoni/
