When Yan Gittins joined us in 1996, the business looked very different to the one we know today. He started out in the Dumbleton office in north Gloucestershire, a small estate office that, as Yan recalls, had “four and a half people and a dog” in it.
Now celebrating 30 years with Fisher German, he is a partner in our rural property management team, based in Worcester, and has seen the business grow into a much broader, more connected and more specialist organisation.
Yan’s route into the profession began with a love of rural life. He didn’t always know what he wanted to do when he was younger, but working on a dairy farm near where he lived sparked something. “I became hooked on rural life,” he says. Land agency and management gave him a way to build a career around that passion, especially for someone who wanted a rural life but did not have a farm or estate of their own.
After completing his master’s degree, Yan joined Fisher German. Before that, he had spent summer holidays working on farms. But Fisher German quickly became his professional home, and he has remained with the business ever since, moving with the Dumbleton office to Worcester in 2006 and building a career rooted in relationships, practical advice and a strong understanding of rural property.
No such thing as a normal day
Ask Yan what a normal day looks like and the answer is simple: there probably isn’t one. His work can range from helping with an estate staff issue or arranging for a plumber to fix a tap, to advising on long-term estate planning, tax, land and property transactions, and the future of a rural family asset. It is that variety that has kept the role interesting and meaningful throughout his career.
For Yan, the best part of the job is being able to do good work for clients and provide advice that stands the test of time. He values the ability to plan his schedule around client demands, recognising that rural property work has its own peaks, troughs and long-term priorities. That consistency matters. In his view, Fisher German’s strength in his area of work is the personal service clients receive year after year, the kind of service they need, want and value.
Growing with the business
One of the biggest themes in Yan’s career has been change. Since he joined, Fisher German has grown significantly, not just in size, but in the range of advice and expertise it can offer. He remembers a very different working world, one where office life and client service were shaped by older technologies and smaller teams. Today, the business is larger, more specialist and more varied, with people and teams able to work together in ways that would not have been possible when he first started.
That growth has included mergers and acquisitions, bringing with it a national office network and a myriad of local experts. But for Yan, the important point is that Fisher German’s values and ethos have not changed. The firm may now be bigger, broader and better connected, but it has retained the same commitment to honest, reliable and trustworthy advice.
That balance matters to clients. Yan believes the advice Fisher German gives is not always what people want to hear, but it is the advice they need. Clients appreciate that honesty, and it is one of the reasons many return year after year. The relationships he has built over decades are a source of pride, particularly the significant management clients he has retained throughout his career.
Looking ahead, Yan expects the macroeconomic climate to remain turbulent and challenging, but he is confident Fisher German will continue to adapt so it can help clients achieve their aims wherever possible. For his own clients, he sees the coming years as a time to focus on streamlining and efficiencies, helping them pass on their assets in good order.
Yan sees Fisher German’s success as being built on its people, who he considers the firm’s biggest asset. Many colleagues have been with the business for a long time, bringing continuity, experience and trusted relationships that clients value. They are dedicated to their clients, committed to excellent service and willing to work as a team. He also sees strength in the fact that the business remains a partnership owned by equity partners, rather than being driven by shareholders, private finance or banks. To him, that structure helps protect the long-term approach and client focus that have always shaped the firm.
Supporting people to grow
Yan also values the chance to support the next generation as they join and grow within Fisher German. He enjoys seeing younger colleagues develop, build confidence and become the best version of themselves. With such a wide range of specialisms and experience across the business, colleagues can learn from one another, seek support and shape careers in different directions.
He believes people perform at their best when they feel comfortable, supported and happy at work. While Fisher German offers plenty of opportunities to grow, Yan is clear that making the most of them takes determination, commitment and a willingness to push yourself.
Achievements, advice and life outside work
Looking back, Yan’s greatest professional achievement is becoming a Partner 15 years ago and being part of Fisher German’s successful growth. Just as important is the continuity he has created with clients, retaining key management relationships for decades. Outside work, he is married, having four children and is proud of designing and project managing a new family home.
His advice to anyone starting out is simple: build good relationships, treat people well and remember that careers are shaped by the connections you make along the way. And, with a smile, he adds that anyone interested in rural property management would be very welcome in his team.
Away from work, Yan enjoys being at home with his family, making and mending things, Scottish reeling and country sports. His favourite destinations are Mauritius, where he can see half of his family, and Pembrokeshire, which remains a much-loved holiday destination and is cheaper than Mauritius!