Episode 133 – Beyond Inheritance with Sharath Jeevan

Episode 133 – Beyond Inheritance with Sharath Jeevan

In this episode, chartered financial planner at Ovation Finance, Clémence Chatelin sits down with Sharath Jeevan to explore legacy. Not simply as the money we leave behind, but as the mark we make while we are here.

Sharath talks about the shift from success to significance, how families can think more intentionally about the next generation, and why the financial side of legacy should support a much wider conversation about values, purpose, identity and what we want to help others build.

Welcomes & Introductions

Tom Morris – Managing Director and Chartered Financial Planner at Ovation Finance. Bristol-based, chartered, B Corp Certified and proudly employee owned.

Clémence Chatelin – Chartered Financial Planner and Head of Investments at Ovation Finance.

This episode marks the start of a new interview-led series, with Clem introducing guests from her work and wider network in sustainability, finance and beyond.

Fancy a chat with Tom, Clem and the team at Ovation? Contact details can be found on the Ovation Finance website.

What’s on Today’s Podcast?

A chat with Sharath Jeevan about legacy, intergenerational planning and what it means to move from success towards significance.

Sharath works with organisations, family businesses and individuals to think about long-term impact and legacy. His work looks beyond the traditional financial definition of inheritance and asks a broader question: what are we actually trying to leave behind?

He also teaches at Oxford’s Saïd Business School and has used stand-up comedy and fiction as ways of exploring some of these ideas.

Interview with Sharath Jeevan

Why legacy is about more than inheritance
The financial side of legacy as an enabler, not the whole story
The danger of adopting somebody else’s definition of success
Building the future with the next generation rather than for them
Helping younger generations thrive in a world that looks very different from the one we knew
What “enough” can mean in financial planning
How financial security can create more freedom to take risks and make changes
Why family conversations matter before money changes hands
The importance of openness around money, values and expectations
How parents can support children without defining their path for them
What fairness can look like across siblings with very different lives
How financial structures can support different career choices
Why financial security should allow the next generation to be more adventurous, not less
The role of parents in helping younger people build support networks and confidence
How families can pass on wisdom as well as wealth

Conclusions from the Chat

One of the strongest themes running through the episode is that legacy should not begin with a financial product or an inheritance plan.

It begins with a conversation.

What kind of family do we want to be?

What values matter to us?

What do we want our money to help the next generation do?

And how do we support children as individuals, rather than expecting them to follow the same path?

That is where financial planning can play an important role.

The conversation also highlights the importance of involving the next generation early.

Legacy, in that sense, is not simply what you leave behind.

It is what you help others build.

Sharath Jeevan is an expert on legacy and generational success.

He works with organisations, family businesses and individuals to think about long-term impact, significance and the conditions they want to create for future generations.

He also teaches at Oxford’s Saïd Business School and writes and speaks about leadership, legacy and intergenerational thinking.