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February 06, 2023

#248: Sam Instone – CEO at AES International

Podcast Details

Sam Instone is a British businessman who is the founder and current chief executive of AES International. This organization became the fastest growing UK financial services business between 2008 and 2012 and was the winner of Sunday Times/Virgin Fast Track United Kingdom’s Best Management Team Award.

He has become well known for promoting the mission statement ‘Positive Change’ as a means for the financial services sector to get better consumer outcomes and evolve from an industry into a profession.

A graduate in War Studies from King’s College London and The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Instone served as an Airborne Officer in the operational and ceremonial squadrons of The Household Cavalry Regiment. In 2004, he founded AES to initially specialize in the provision of financial services to those in hostile areas or hazardous professions prior to diversifying into mainstream markets. Today, AES delivers wealth advisory, planning and corporate benefits advice to international executives around the globe.
Instone aligned the organisation of this business to the core values, mission, structure, doctrine and operations of the western military in a manner that has become known as ‘militology’. This led to The Economist Magazine describing Instone as ‘The Field Marshal of Finance’ and discussing the merits of applying military principles to commercial environments.
Instone was a finalist in the 2013 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards and was recognised by Sir Richard Branson for his work in promoting a different way of thought and leadership within financial services characterised as ‘missionary not mercenary’.

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