From Subsea to Success
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From subsea to success: How two former oil and gas professionals became Aberdeen’s top rated wealth firm
When Martin Welsh and Kieran Taylor talk about building wealth, they are not just speaking as financial advisers. They are speaking as former oil and gas professionals who understand the realities of a career in this sector.
They have lived the project deadlines, the corporate pressures, and the complex reward packages that come with senior roles in energy. They know the challenge of juggling multiple pension schemes built up over years of moves between companies and jurisdictions, the intricacies of share options and long-term incentive plans, and the difficulty of finding the time to manage it all while leading at work.
Today, they are helping energy professionals solve a different kind of puzzle: how to turn career success into financial freedom.
As co-founders of Welsh & Taylor Wealth, they run an independent advice firm that is fast, personal, and engineered for the energy sector. With more than 240 verified five-star reviews on VouchedFor, the UK’s leading review platform for professional services, they have become the go-to advisers for oil and gas professionals across the UK, with hundreds of satisfied clients who trust them to deliver clarity, structure, and results. Their approach combines fair, transparent fees with advice that delivers genuine value and is easy to understand.
“We understand how a career in oil and gas is rarely straightforward,” says Taylor.
“Changing projects, changing employers, international moves – it is easy to end up with a scattered financial picture. Our role is to simplify it, optimise it, and put a clear plan in place so our clients know exactly where they stand.”
That clarity has never been more important. With uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of the North Sea and investment in the UK Continental Shelf, many in the sector are thinking harder about protecting and growing their wealth beyond their working years.
Welsh & Taylor Wealth specialises in helping high-earning professionals consolidate and restructure pensions, create bespoke investment strategies, and plan for retirement with precision. From tax-efficient structuring to aligning investment risk with life goals, their approach is rooted in the same qualities that shaped their own careers in energy: attention to detail, clear communication, and a relentless focus on results.
“Many of our clients could afford to retire earlier than they think – but without a clear plan, they would not know it,” says Welsh. “Others discover they need to adjust their strategy to get the lifestyle they want. Either way, we make sure they have the information, structure, and confidence to make those decisions well ahead of time.”
One couple in their late 40s, both working in oil and gas and each earning over £100,000 a year, came to Welsh & Taylor Wealth with a simple dream, to retire at 60. “They had built up around £400,000 in pensions, but had no idea how much they would need to make their retirement comfortable,” recalls Taylor. “They had multiple pots from different jobs, some generous packages, but no overall plan.” The first step was to define their vision, lifestyle goals, support for their children, travel ambitions, and personal projects they did not want to compromise on. Using cashflow modelling, Taylor mapped out what their current assets could achieve: a target retirement fund of £1.6 million.
From there, he built a bespoke investment portfolio tailored to their risk profile, tax position and income needs. He calculated the monthly savings required, recommended the most efficient tax wrappers, maximised company contributions and bonuses, and structured investments to minimise tax over the long term. “Years later, they know exactly where they are heading,” says Taylor. “They have the confidence that their money is working as hard for them as they have. That is the real value of financial advice, turning an idea into a clear, achievable plan.”
In another case, a client in his early 50s had grown frustrated with impersonal, high-cost portfolios. “He was paying 2.25% a year in charges for something that felt like an off-the-shelf solution,” Welsh explains. “We rebuilt everything from the ground up, expanding global exposure, maintaining the right risk profile, reducing charges to 1.20%, and stripping out unnecessary complexity.” Welsh also restructured the client’s workplace pension, moving it out of the default mass-market fund and into a personalised, actively managed portfolio aligned with his goals. The result was a fully integrated strategy covering investments, pensions, gifting plans and an annually reviewed cashflow model. The delighted client said: “I used to lie awake wondering if I was doing the right thing. Now I sleep easy. Martin did not just tidy up my investments, he built a plan for me and my family. I finally feel like someone is looking out for us.”
Martin likens their approach to an “Amazon culture”, fast, proactive, and built around exceeding expectations. That pace, combined with engineering-level attention to detail, is what they believe has fuelled their growth.
“Our clients are not looking for jargon or slow decision-making,” says Taylor. “They want clear answers, quick responses and a plan that makes sense for their lives, whether they are in the boardroom, in project leadership, or planning for the next chapter.” For oil and gas professionals, that often means cutting through decades of accumulated pensions, savings, shares and bonuses, and translating it into one clear, tax-efficient roadmap. “Ultimately,” Welsh says, “financial freedom is not about hitting a number. It is about clarity. It is about knowing when you can stop, what you can spend, and how to make your money work for you.”
To find out more visit the Welsh & Taylor Wealth website today.
Welsh & Taylor Wealth is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. The tax treatment of investments depends on your individual circumstances and may change in the future. Any examples are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute advice. You should seek personalised financial advice before taking any action.