Take that first step

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Take that first step

Sherise Mercer

head of Macquarie Virtual Adviser Network The financial advice industry is always evolving. As a leader of a high-growth firm, it’s incredibly valuable to learn from your peers’ successes and pitfalls and get better, faster outcomes than you would on your own.

With a record number of advisers leaving the industry, there are new growth opportunities, and a pool of clients with unmet advice needs. To best serve those clients, it’s never been more important to share knowledge within a shrinking pool of experienced practitioners. And

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you know it will take more than compliancelevel advice training to achieve meaningful success in your business – and provide the quality advice and service more Australians will need in the future.

Taking a new path or making changes in your practice is a big ask of you and your team, but commitment to the journey helps ensure you’re moving your practice forward – not letting the market and competition move it for you.

Six years after Cervus Private Wealth cofounders Ross Potter and Adam Miliszewski started their Gold Coast-based practice, they’d reached a crossroad. The business could keep growing steadily – or they could put their foot on the accelerator.

“We wanted to build something that would be bigger than either of us individually, so we started thinking strategically about what we’d need,” says Ross.

So, he and Adam decided to get some guidance with those steps, joining a cohort of like-minded Queensland-based advice principals on Macquarie’s Virtual Adviser Network Build for the Future program in 2021. Ross says he came out of every Build for the Future session with at least two or three really good ideas that changed his perception on how to do business; “If you want to make changes in your advice firm and grow, I’d definitely say jump in and get involved.”

Having completed the program, Ross says he “feels a sense of fulfillment, because the things we said we’d do, we’ve done.” Working with similar-sized firms and hearing from significantly larger ones has reassured the founders that it’s possible to stay grounded while still reaching for the stars.

That’s why Macquarie Bank is investing in the next generation of high-performing financial advice firms through its Virtual Adviser Network Build for the Future program. Designed for advice firms with big ambitions, the 18-month program involves webinars, workshops, conferences and benchmarking exercises.

If you’re looking for new ways to evolve your business and explore different growth options in an increasingly complex environment, we’re recruiting for the next round of our Virtual Adviser Network’s Build for the Future program now. Learn more on how we’re committed to helping advice practice principals build a successful advice firm of the future.

Join now – Macquarie.com.au/van

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The 2022 Entries

Deline Jacovides

Mazi Wealth

Kearsten James

Addi House

Deline has experience across a range of businesses from boutiques to large super funds. Most recently, she took the leap and established Mazi Wealth.

She is on the Queensland committee for Women in Super and is vice-chair of the AFA’s National Practitioners Community, and was a finalist for the AFA Female Excellence in Advice Award for 2022. Deline is passionate about closing the super gender gap, having even been invited to contribute to a roundtable discussion with the current government on the topic from her perspective as an adviser and a mother. Kearsten is a financial adviser and the founder of Addi House. She has over 17 years of experience in the financial planning profession and is passionate about helping clients achieve financial independence and gain confidence knowing their financial house is in order.

Kearsten has been a finalist for the FPA Professional of the Year Award in 2019 and a finalist for the AFA Excellence in Education Award in 2019. She won the FPA Paraplanner of the Year Award in 2018. Kearsten serves as a director on the FPA’s board with a positive outlook on the future of advice.

The 50 most influential financial advisers in Australia

Sam Jewell

Rising Tide Financial Services

Sam is a financial planner at Rising Tide and is a previous finalist for the AFA Rising Star Award for two years running. He enjoys building lasting professional relationships and knows what it takes to succeed in the financial services industry, never afraid to put in the work to help clients achieve their goals. Sam plays an important role in paving the way forward for emerging financial planners within the business and as an emerging leader within the industry. He is highly active within the community, serving as chair of the MCC Young Members Committee and the Old Brighton Grammar School Committee.

William Johns

Health & Finance Integrated and ClaimRight

If you ever find yourself in trouble, it’s William you’d want on your side. As founder of Health & Finance Integrated, William has made a career out of helping those who can’t help themselves, whether they struggle with mental or physical disabilities, running the firm as a social enterprise to further benefit the community. He also runs ClaimRight, a business focused on helping people in need make insurance claims and Centrelink claims correctly, and isn’t afraid to call out dodgy industry practices when he sees them. He also advocates for his profession, sitting on the board of the FPA.

The 2022 Entries

Michael Khouri

Better Financial Planning Australia

Jacqueline Kirkwood

Shadforth Financial Group

Michael is the founder and director of Better Financial Planning Australia, focused on assisting couples to make better financial decisions so that they can focus on the things they love. He runs a financial and lifestyle podcast titled Sharing More Than the Sheets, with weekly episodes discussing all things money and couples related. Michael has won the National Financial Advisors risk advisor and planner of the year awards among many other accolades. Jackie boasts over 24 years’ experience in both the Australian and South African financial services industry. Today, the Tasmania-based adviser primarily works with busy professionals who are looking to outsource their financial affairs, as well as more mature professionals and small business owners looking to cut back on work and spend time pursuing more pleasurable pursuits. Jackie is actively shaping the future of advice as a tutor and lecturer in financial planning at the University of Tasmania.

The 50 most influential financial advisers in Australia

Olivia Maragna

Aspire Retire

Olivia is chief executive of the awardwinning Aspire Retire which services clients Australia-wide. She has served as a mentor to many over the years, including through the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand mentor program, sits on the board of the Future2 Foundation and CFP Advisory Panel, and is a longstanding judge in the Telstra Business Awards. She is one of Australia’s most respected financial experts and highly sought speaker on all things money across TV, radio and print.

Gayle McKew

Prosperity Planning Partners

Gayle is a strategic financial adviser and retirement specialist at Prosperity Planning. She has specialist adviser skills in both aged care and women’s wealth and is the author of Women mind your money before someone else does. Gayle has been in the business of money since the 1980s, with a background in banking and lending before deciding to focus on financial advice. Her diverse background means clients have access to a wealth of knowledge in each interaction. Gayle was the recipient of one of the AFA’s Great Advice Awards in 2021.

The 2022 Entries

Prashant Nagarajan

Finnacle Solutions

Ben Nash

Pivot Wealth

Prashant is the co-founder of Finnacle, where he works as a financial adviser and mortgage adviser. After a decade in the financial services industry as a financial planner, client manager and technical analyst he wanted to assist more young people in getting on top of their finances.

Finnacle has pioneered an ondemand financial advice subscription that simplifies money management. Prashant is realising his dream and helping young families access affordable advice and gain financial security at a time when advice remains out of reach for so many. Ben is the founder of Pivot Wealth and author of the best-selling Get Unstuck: Your Guide to Creating a Life not Limited by Money. He is also an active speaker, podcaster, presenter, and industry commentator. Ben reaches a monthly audience of around 100,000 across his social media and podcast channels.

Over the years he has been recognised with several awards including the AFA’s Excellence in Education Award. Ben is passionate about the benefits of truly great financial advice, and the empowerment that comes through good financial literacy.

The 50 most influential financial advisers in Australia

Sam Perera

Perera Crowther Financial Services

A familiar face to many, Sam cofounded Perera Crowther Financial Services where he works as its managing director. His firm’s ethos is based on three pillars: providing highly personalised service, offering expert, timely advice, and maintaining the highest level of ethics. Sam has a long history of advocating for his profession, having been heavily involved in lobbying efforts on the Future of Financial Advice reforms and the Life Insurance Framework. Sam continues to be an advocate for the financial advice industry and the future for advisers as the AFA national president since 2020.

Roger Perrett

Viridian Advisory

Roger finds most people aren’t aware of the opportunities they’re missing out on and the risk they’re exposed to.

He’s passionate about rectifying this and has developed a platform to help people achieve their goals, tasks and dreams, even from a non-financial perspective as well. Roger is also the founder of More Done, an automated platform that helps busy parents manage kids, home and money so they can get more done and have more fun. Once a competitive sailor, he now steers client’s financial strategies.