SPEAKERS

CIO of Loftus Peak, a specialist global fund manager with a track record of successful investment in some of the world’s fastest-growing listed businesses.
With 25 years’ experience in disruptive business models gained during a career with Macquarie Bank, Alex heads one of the best-performing teams in global investment management in Australia.
He has a deep understanding of the mechanisms through which disruption changes business models and the impact it has on company valuation, having identified and invested in AI in 2016 through Nvidia, among many other companies which have generated strong portfolio returns over the ten years the fund has operated.

Alexis George was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMP Limited in August 2021. She is responsible for leading the AMP business. In addition, Alexis was appointed to the AMP Limited Board and AMP Bank Board in August 2021.

Alexis has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry in Australia and overseas. She spent seven years at ANZ, including most recently as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer, working with the CEO to drive group-wide strategic initiatives in addition to having responsibility forits shared service centres and banking services.

As the Group Executive Wealth Australia, Alexis led ANZ’s ~$4 billion wealth divestment program, including the separation and sale of its life insurance and superannuation businesses to Zurich and IOOF. Prior to ANZ, Alexis spent ten years with ING Group in a number of senior roles including CEO Czech Republic and Slovakia, responsible for banking, insurance and funds management, and Regional COO Asia, responsible for product, marketing, technology and operations.

Alexis is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Alexis is an active member of Chief Executive Women and is a passionate advocate for women in leadership roles.

Ben has over 25 years of experience in strategic management and product leadership across superannuation, SMSFs, private wealth, banking, and property. Ben joined AMP in 2021 as the General Manager Retirement Solutions where he led the development of MyNorth Lifetime, a suite of market-leading solutions that aim to help Australians have greater comfort and confidence in retirement. Prior to joining AMP, Ben most recently held senior product leadership roles at QSuper, Sunsuper and ANZ.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Politics and Public Policy, Marketing, and Organisational Psychology.

Andrew joined Fidelity International in September 2010.
Andrew is responsible for Fidelity’s platform and key account relationships as well as communicating and distributing Fidelity’s investment strategies across a range of financial planning dealer groups and advisory firms.
Andrew has 28 years’ experience in financial services and has previously held senior distribution roles with BT Funds Management and BT Financial Group.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Business from Monash University, a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance (Investment Management) from the Securities Institute of Australia, a Diploma of Financial Planning through the Financial Planning Association, an ESG Investing Certificate through the CFA Institute, an Applied Behavioural Finance Certificate and is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) through the Investments & Wealth Institute.

Andrew Lowe is the Head of Technical Services for Challenger.

Andrew and the Challenger Tech Team are responsible for the development and delivery of technical content, tools and advice for advisers.

Andrew’s areas of interest include pre and post retirement planning, superannuation (including SMSFs), life insurance and the regulatory environment for the provision of financial advice.

Andrew has more than 20 years technical experience including technical roles with AMP, ING and ANZ. He is a member of a number of industry working groups and regularly liaises with Government across his areas of specialisation.

Andrew has qualifications in Commerce, Financial Planning and Law.

Anne is responsible for championing financial advice, financial literacy and education across ART, seeking to influence and shape the advice industry and ensure financial advice is accessible for all members.

Anne has been leading the advice business, first at Sunsuper and now ART since 2015 and has sat on multiple boards and external advisory committees throughout her 25-year career. Anne has worked in senior roles at leading financial institutions including the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) ING Australia and Bankers Trust.

Anne is also a non-executive director on the board of Teachers Union Health. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds an Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) and a Bachelor of Arts.

Ben is the Founder and Managing Director of the Kingdom Financial Group, incorporating Provision Wealth Management. 

With a diverse expertise spanning accounting, taxation, financial planning, and estate planning, Ben brings a comprehensive and strategic approach to managing clients’ financial needs. 

His deep understanding of the financial landscape enables him to offer tailored solutions that help individuals and businesses achieve long-term financial security and growth. 

Through the Kingdom Financial Group, Ben is committed to providing expert guidance and exceptional service, ensuring clients make informed decisions and secure their financial future.

Bryce joined Morningstar Investment Management Australia Limited in July 2015 as Portfolio Manager and is responsible for the management of Morningstar’s Multi Asset portfolios. His responsibilities include capital markets research, investment
strategy, portfolio construction and management to achieve competitive investment
returns and better portfolio outcomes for clients.

Bryce has over 12 years’ experience in financial services. Prior to joining Morningstar, Bryce was Portfolio Manager at IAG Asset Management where he was responsible for manager research and due diligence across asset classes; determining and implementing strategic and tactical asset allocation of IAG group assets and managing option based strategies.

Bryce is a member of the Asset Allocation Sub-Committee, Portfolio Construction Sub Committee, and Manager and Security Selection Sub-Committee.
Bryce holds Master of Commerce (Finance and Funds Management) from the
University of New South Wales and Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise and Sports Science) from the University of Sydney. He is also a CFA Charterholder.

As the GM of FranklinCovey in Australia and New Zealand, Catherine is passionate about helping people and organisations become truly effective by incorporating timeless principles and practices into everything they do. As a hands-on leader, she understands the challenges and opportunities leaders face every day; especially creating and executing strategies through and with people. She believes deeply in investing in leadership at every level as a means of driving engagement, and is a great coach, mentor and champion for other leaders.

An engaging and dynamic speaker, Catherine has presented to senior leaders and teams all over the world including Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, UK, Asia Pac and Europe. She is renowned for her warm, intelligent and pragmatic style, applying both research and practice in simple and compelling ways.

In addition to her work shaping leadership strategy, she was formerly FranklinCovey’s Global Leadership Practice leader, and lead architect on the development of a number of FranklinCovey’s award winning solutions, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®, The 4 Essential Roles of Leadership®, The 4 Disciplines of Execution® and Unconscius Bias. She was also previously the Managing Consultant for FranklinCovey’s Customer Loyalty Practice, focused on developing organisational cultures, delighting customers, and winning employee loyalty. Her thought leadership was critical to the development of FranklinCovey’s customer and employee engagement methodologies.

Catherine has a Master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour and completed undergraduate studies in Education and Psychology. She worked for more than 20 years internationally helping organisations around the globe be more effective, before returning to Australia to lead the local FranklinCovey team.

Crispin is Head of Equities at Pendal, a fund manager within the broader Perpetual Group.
He joined the funds management business of BT Financial Group, now Pendal, in 1994, initially responsible for European equities and served as Head of European Equities from April 1998.
Crispin was subsequently appointed to his current role in January 2003 overseeing Pendal’s Australian equities business, one of the largest fundamental equity boutiques in the market based on team size and funds managed.
He is responsible for managing a number of our flagship Australian equity funds, which under his watch have outperformed the market over multiple periods since his appointment in 2003.
Prior to Pendal, Crispin worked for Equitable Life in London.
Crispin is a Director of the Anika Foundation and served as a Director of Football Federation of Australia from 2015-19.
He holds an Honours degree in Economics & Human Geography from Reading University.

David’s responsible for providing advice on the tax treatment of TAL products. He also leads the development and delivery of technical content for advisers.

With over 20 years’ experience providing tax and strategic advice to the financial services industry in Australia and Asia, David is well equipped to work closely with advisers to formulate effective client solutions.

David’s worked as a tax partner at a large accounting firm and more recently was tax counsel for several insurance companies. David is a qualified solicitor, Chartered Accountant and holds a post graduate diploma in taxation law.

Wealth Smart Finance was established in 2024 as a dedicated business to support the AMP Advice network with Mortgages, Asset Finance and Commercial Lending via the Lending Referral Service. The combined team have in excess of 60 years experience in the mortgage broking channel and have strong expertise in these areas. 

CEO and Managing Director, David O’Toole has over 30 years experience in financial services and is still very passionate about the Broker Industry. He is highly skilled in helping Brokers, Technology Providers and Lenders connect to ensure he and his team provide trusted funding solutions to Consumers and SME business in Australia.   

Having worked for some of the largest aggregator and lending institutions, David has harnessed his skill in all forms of lending, however his expertise lies in Asset Finance and Commercial Lending. His experience as National Sales Manager at FAST aggregator group for 9 years, Head of Strategic Partnerships at PLAN Australia for over 4 years and Business Development Manager at Suncorp for over 3 years has allowed him to deal with many simple and complex scenarios.   

David Wilson is the deputy Head of Australian Equities Growth. Prior to joining the Business in May 2015, David held a variety of roles at UBS, including managing the Equities Research, Equities Sales and Family Office businesses. Throughout David’s nine years at UBS, UBS consistently ranked number 1 in Equities Research and Sales by Australasian fund managers.
Prior to joining UBS, David worked for 20 years at JPMorgan/Ord Minnett where he was a number 1 ranked Telco, Transport and Industrials analyst. and where he was Head of Equities Research for four years.
David holds a Bachelor of Economics and bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney

Dean Boxall is a powerhouse in the world of swimming coaching, celebrated for his role in shaping some of Australia’s most successful swimmers.

His athletes, including Ariarne Titmus, have achieved extraordinary feats under his guidance, such as winning multiple Olympic gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

Dean’s passionate, high-energy coaching style pushes his swimmers to reach new heights, resulting in world records, Olympic victories, and unforgettable moments in swimming history.

As the head coach at St. Peters Western, Dean continues to mentor and develop Australia’s top swimming talents, creating champions in and out of the pool.

Diana joined AMP in 2016 as a senior economist within the Investment Strategy team. Diana’s responsibilities include providing global economic and macro investment analysis to retail, institutional and internal customers through her regular “Econosights” reports and presentations. Diana regularly presents AMP Capital’s macro views across various media outlets including Bloomberg, CNBC, AusBiz and mainstream Australian television networks and radio stations. Diana also contributes to the asset allocation decisions of the AMP multi asset funds.

Previously, Diana worked at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia as an economist in the Institutional Banking & Markets division. Diana holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Economics from the University of New South Wales and has a Masters of Finance (in funds management) at the University of New South Wales.

Edwina is a seasoned executive, board director, consultant, and transformation leader.

In June 2021, Edwina was appointed Director, Platforms at AMP, with end-to-end accountability for AMP’s Wealth Superannuation Fund and Wrap Platforms (c$65bn FUM) and SuperConcepts SMSFbusiness (which was sold on 30th June 2023). Edwina is responsible for leading the Platforms business which includes the Wealth Distribution division, North Operations, Product, Digital Development, Retirement Solutions and Technology teams.

Previously, Edwina led AMP Capital’s Global Product function, responsible for its Managed Investment Schemes, offshore domiciled funds and separate accounts. Before AMP, Edwina was General Manager, Product and Business Development at Perpetual Investments, and prior to this, was a management consultant with Accenture specialising in wealth management. She began her career as a lawyer with DLA Piper (then Phillips Fox).

Edwina holds a Bachelor of Laws (QUT) and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investment (FINSIA). She also holds a number of directorships for other corporate and responsible entity boards.

Elza, Co-founder and Co-Creative Director of et collective, is a Kiwi-born changemaker who landed in Australia in 2000, fuelled by a passion for start-ups and an unwavering determination to redefine creative limits. A master of strategy and execution, Elza has built her career on delivering work that not only stands out but reshapes expectations.

Deeply committed to empowering minority-run businesses and amplifying brands with a social mission, Elza spearheads the Womenkind competition each year, crafting a fresh brand identity for a purpose-driven organisation. Her impressive creative portfolio spans iconic Australian brands like Westpac, Vodafone, Selleys, and HESTA, alongside impactful causes such as Camp Quality, Red Kite, and Aruma.

Emilio is the Growth Manager at Broker Engine, focused on sales strategy and growth. With over 7 year’s experience in business development across various industries, Emilio is highly skilled at driving revenue growth and optimising sales processes through innovative strategies and collaboration.

He is committed to continuous improvement and seeks to streamline processes and foster sustainable growth for long-term success. 

When it comes to building the mental strength to thrive under pressure – there are few more qualified than Emma Murray. Not only has her High Performance Mindfulness (HPM) practice taken AFL teams to premiership glory, motorsport drivers to championships, Australian cricketers to Test debuts and Olympic athletes to the podium, it has helped Emma’s own family thrive amid tragedy.

Emma has been working for over a decade with elite athletes, CEOs, professionals and students, helping them to train their ‘mind muscle’ to unlock greater productivity, efficiency and performance. Her High Performance Mindfulness practice builds the mindset skills and thinking patterns to lead and execute at your very best everyday.

Gene joined Silvan Ridge Wealth in 2003 after 15 years working in banking,

He is the Managing Director of the practice and has a passion to help people and make a difference to them.

He is an active member of the community and is a member of the Technology Consultancy Group and Board Member of the The Advisers Association (TAA)

Greg is an executive for HUB24 Group Strategy and is focused on creating and enhancing technology solutions to help advisers provide high quality advice to clients and run efficient and profitable businesses.

Greg has spent more than 25 years in the Australian financial services industry, mainly in strategic roles in Advice and Distribution businesses across Challenger, ANZ, CFS and MLC.

When not at work Greg can be found spending time with his wife and 3 kids or playing tennis and surfing on the northern beaches

In 2015, Jacob leveraged his 20 years of investment management expertise to establish Antipodes, a renowned global asset manager with approximately A$18 billion in AUM.

Prior to Antipodes, Jacob spent 14 years at Platinum Asset Management where he was the Deputy Chief Investment Officer jointly responsible for the firm-wide investment process, and a Portfolio Manager of the flagship Platinum International Fund. During his time, he also served as Portfolio Manager for the Platinum Unhedged Fund and the Platinum Japan Fund prior to his departure.

James is the co-portfolio manager for the Schroder Australian Equities Biodiversity Strategy, with 8 years’ experience as a data scientist and investment analyst. James joined us from Drewery Capital, where he worked as a Research Analyst Developer, building trading models and portfolio analysis tools. Prior to this, he managed data analytics as Senior Software Developer at Southern Cross Austero. In 2010, James co-founded and was the Chief Technology Officer of MyDeal.com.au which was recently sold to Woolworths. James area of expertise is varied across the front and back end software development, data analysis, investment analysis, as well as project management in start-ups and established organisations. James maintains coverage of the TMT sector, and has previously covered Energy.

James, a seasoned professional, possesses a profound passion for nurturing high-performing leaders and teams. With over a decade of experience in Australia, he has earned a reputation for his ability to transform businesses, shape culture, and deliver outstanding results through authentic and candid conversations.  James embarked on his career journey at Lloyds Bank in the UK, gradually climbing the ranks to branch management and financial planning roles. 

Later, he joined Virgin Money in the UK, revolutionizing banking services while also shaping his foundational beliefs about business, culture, and brand. In 2003, James founded Nickell, supporting diverse businesses, from Virgin to Autoglass and UK Government Job Centre+. He emphasised clear goal setting and great customer experiences. In 2007, James and family relocated to Sydney, becoming Australian citizens in 2014. At AMP, he excelled as Head of Sales and Head of Channel Effectiveness before launching Nickell Australia in 2013. In Australia, James built strong client relationships with TAL, Suncorp, Coca-Cola South Pacific, and Kinetic Super, focusing on high-performance culture. James enjoys golf, fishing, family time, and writing his book, “Donuts and Funnels”. James specialises in coaching, leadership, high-performing teams, sales, goal setting, sales skills, and is an HBDI practitioner.

Jennifer Goldsworthy is an accomplished Financial Planner and Director of Goldsworthy Private Wealth, part of her family’s legacy since 1963.

With over 17 years as an Adviser, she combines deep expertise and mentorship to empower clients, through financial literacy and strategic planning. Jennifer is passionate about guiding people through financial decisions, valuing the unique psychology behind each situation and the importance of a personalised approach for building strong client relationships.

As a mother to two young girls, Jennifer is inspired daily to lead by example, fostering confidence and financial empowerment in future generations. “I want to see my clients achieve their goals and be a reliable professional they can count on,” she says.

An extensive career spanning over 35 years in financial services, wealth management and professional services holding senior and general management positions with market leading organizations including KPMG, Colonial First State, Commonwealth Bank, Australian Unity, Challenger and AMP.

John joined the Group in 2023, charged with managing and aligning the investment research team and providing a first-class proposition to advisers together with driving forward the portfolio management capabilities of the group via managed accounts and the MDA service proposition. Prior to joining the Group, John spent over five years as the General Manager, Licensee and Corporate Super Services at Australian Unity within the Advice business.
John has expertise across distribution and sales, financial planning, technical and investment consulting, corporate superannuation, product, administration and dealer group services including technical, investment research, compliance, paraplanning, professional development, advice and business coaching and adviser recruitment.

John is a passionate leader who inspires, builds, leads, mentors high performing and industry leading teams that provide first class services to its clients.

John’s qualifications include a Master of Financial Services Law, Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investments, Bachelor of Commerce and Diplomas in Superannuation Management and Financial Planning.

Outside of work John’s passion lies in football (soccer) coaching and has been at Blacktown City FC in the NSW NPL for over 10 years and is part of the first-grade coaching staff. This year he was also appointed to lead the King’s School First XI team in the NSW GPS championship series. John holds an FA/AFC A Licence.

Kylie Kitching joined AMP in April 2019 as a part of the clientHUB project learning team. The primary purpose of Kylie’s role is to train and enable the Advice network to unlock the business benefits of AMP’s technology solutions. Working with advice practices to deliver foundational training, manage adoption and embedment of technology, and build the capability of users.  

Kylie has been in the financial services industry for 20 years. She spent 11 years in stockbroking, before moving into financial planning and training. Kylie was state lead on Macquarie’s transition to Xplan and was a previously a Training Executive at Iress. Kylie has worked on Xplan training transition projects at CBA and NAB prior to joining AMP.  

Leyla is a seasoned financial services professional with extensive expertise in driving business growth through capability projects and transformative change initiatives within advice and institutional banking. With over 15 years of experience, Leyla has a proven ability to enhance client experiences and deliver strategic outcomes.

As a Digital Capability Manager, Leyla specialises in leading end-to-end technology integrations and business process improvements. As a Subject Matter Expert, she champions solutions that elevate advice quality and optimise client outcomes.

Mark is the General Manager Equity Partnerships for AMP Advice. In his role Mark leads a team that partners, as minority shareholders, with growth-minded financial planning businesses that AMP has an equity investment in. The alignment of interest with fellow shareholders ensures that Mark and his team are focussed on the initiatives that drive the greatest improvement for all stakeholders.

Mark’s career spans several decades in advice having led licensees at CBA (Financial Wisdom and CFP-Pathways) and as equity investor leading the foundation investment by Macquarie in Findex and serving as a director of Findex for three years through their early growth. Prior to this, he had a diverse range of experience with leadership roles at ING and MLC where he also spent three years leading initiatives for UK advisers. 

Mark holds a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales. Mark, a qualified actuary, is also a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.

In the community, Mark served as a director of a large endowment fund for over a decade using his financial planning and business experience in the not-for-profit sector. Most of all, Mark has a passion for this industry and its continued success and prosperity.

Mark Bunn’s passion is in helping remind people of the simple, age-old secrets of ‘Dharmic Living’ – how to live in tune with the eternal ‘laws of nature’ – so as to enjoy great health, happiness and work success.

Mark didn’t start off this way. In a much earlier life, he played 6 years of professional AFL football before realising that having your head smacked in each week and a good life expectancy were not very compatible!

After an Honours Degree in Western health science and formal training in Eastern medicine (Ayurveda), he studied the secrets of the world’s healthiest, longest-living people, and the world’s most successful businesspeople, before researching into ancient indigenous wisdoms, transcendence, psychedelics, higher states of consciousness and enlightenment.

His first book, ‘Ancient Wisdom for Modern Health’ has become one of Australia’s highest- selling health books, he has spoken in over 10 countries and is the former CEO of the David Lynch Foundation of Australia – a charity that helps those suffering depression, PTSD, domestic violence, and severe trauma.

With his unique mix of Western-science and age-old traditional medicine, Mark helps people deal with the challenges of stress, sleep difficulties, fatigue, and home life balance by recapturing their NATURAL HIGH state of high energy, low stress, life balance and work success.

With Mark, you won’t hear anything about counting calories, analysing fats or sleep apps. You will however learn about the world’s oldest health science, the consciousness revolution, and why good relationships and having fun, are far more important for our health than having a six-pack, drinking green smoothies or activating our bloody almonds!

With over a decade of experience in the Life Insurance industry spanning a variety of roles from underwriting, new business and business development across multiple leading insurers and a family background in financial advice practice, Marshall is passionate about risk advice and assisting advisers to deliver efficient and effective outcomes for their clients.

Marshall holds a Bachelor of Business from the Queensland University of Technology along with a Diploma of Financial Planning and since commencing his role as Partner Education Manager at MLC Life Insurance in 2022 is involved in working with advisers on technical & strategic risk advice while delivering educational content to MLC Life Insurance partners.

Matt is a highly experienced leader in financial services having held senior executive roles across financial advice, wealth management, superannuation, investments, mortgages and banking. Matt joined AMP in July 2021 to lead and transform AMP’s advice business.

Matt has extensive experience in large scale advice transformations and a deep knowledge of building and operating successful advice businesses. He has led advice and mortgage broking businesses at MLC/NAB, was CEO of Yellow Brick Road, an ASX listed business, and Executive Director at Loan Market and Wealth Market, both privately owned businesses.

Matt holds a Diploma in Financial Planning from RMIT University and a Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA.

Neil Younger is the Group CEO of Entireti, a company founded in 2024 with a vision to transform the future of financial advice services – with a focus on making financial advice more accessible to Australians while ensuring business profitability, Neil leads the parent company of both the Fortnum Group and Personal Financial Services.

Neil is an established industry leader and experienced Senior Financial Services Executive, specialising in wealth management, licensee management and advice and distribution.

Neil excels in strategy development and execution, sales leadership, organisational restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and leading large teams of over 1500 employees.

Prior to joining the Entireti Group in 2017 (previously named Fortnum), Neil served as Managing Director of Advice and Distribution at ANZ Wealth. In this role he oversaw ANZ’s financial advice and risk businesses, which encompass ANZ Financial Planning and its aligned licensees: Millennium3, RetireInvest, FSP, and Elders Financial Planning. Together these entities comprised a network of more than over 1500 financial planners.

Neil also has extensive executive level experience gained from roles such as General Manager at Commonwealth Bank Financial Planning, Head of Licensee Services at BT Financial Group and CEO of Securitor.

He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and brings extensive board and responsible management experience across various entities, regulated licensee businesses, and advice boards. His involvement with the Financial Services Council underscores his profound understanding of financial services regulatory reform. Neil has substantial experience engaging with regulators and government entities.

As a respected financial commentator, Neil’s opinions are frequently sought in industry publications, and he is regularly invited to speak at industry event and is frequently sought after for his insights by industry publications.

Nick is an experienced financial service executive passionate for strategic growth, transformational change and operationalising initiatives to engage customers and drive commercial outcomes. Nick combines his deep experience in wealth management and entrepreneurial spirit to set the strategic agenda and can create innovative offerings or beneficial partnerships, while driving improvements and efficiencies as we deliver.

In Nick’s Executive career he has lead teams that; support adviser growth and retention; deliver training, education and technical support; establish governance frameworks; manage licensee operations and advice technology; and build and deliver digital advice solutions.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Business (Financial Planning), a Masters of Applied Finance and Investment and an Masters of Business Administration (MBA).

Paul established AZ NGA in 2015, after a career as a senior executive at some of Australia’s leading banking and financial services institutions including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ANZ Bank and Rothschild.

Paul has over 20 years’ experience in wealth management.

Originally from New Zealand, Paul graduated from Victoria University in Wellington with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, majoring in Accounting and Commercial Law. He came to Australia in 1998 and held roles with Connelly Temple and Rothschild before being appointed General Manager of the CBA’s Financial Wisdom dealer group and later General Manager of Distribution for the bank’s wealth arm, Colonial First State.

After seven years at the CBA, he joined ANZ Wealth Management, rising to Managing Director, Global Advice and Distribution.

In 2014, Paul helped 4 Pines Brewing Company establish its first Board, serving as the group’s inaugural Chairman. During a period of significant growth and expansion, he guided the group to become a Certified B Corporation and oversaw its 2017 acquisition by global giant Anheuser- Busch InBev. Paul was also Chair of the 4 Pines Advisory Committee.

Pete Gunning serves as Vice Chairman and Strategic Relationships Officer of Russell Investments. In this role, he works to ensure Russell Investments continues to seamlessly leverage its wide array of global investment capabilities and expertise to fully benefit clients globally. He has over 30 years’ experience in asset management.
Pete has held a number of senior leadership roles within the firm having served on the Russell Investments Executive Committee over the past 15 years. These include Chief Executive, Asia-Pacific, with strategic oversight of all business in the region, including Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Pete has also served as Global Chief Investment Officer, with responsibility for all aspects of the firm’s investment activities, including investment management, implementation and manager and capital market research.
Earlier in his Russell Investments’ career, Pete was the regional Chief Investment Officer for the Asia-Pacific region. His responsibilities included the oversight of investment research in the region and the management of equity and fixed interest portfolios for clients in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Australasia.

Phil is a senior executive with extensive experience building high performing businesses and teams gained from working in the financial services and technology sectors for over 25 years in Australia, Asia and UK. 

Phil has developed a reputation as a visionary and results focussed leader who has strong collaboration, communication and brand building skills. During his career Phil has launched new businesses, acquired, merged and integrated businesses and turned around underperforming businesses. Prior experience includes UK MD for Iress, CEO for PLAN Australia and various roles in Banking & Wealth at NAB/MLC. 

Phil is responsible for supporting our Advice network to deliver mortgage broking and cashflow (budgeting) solutions to their clients.  

Rebecca Pritchard is a Senior Financial Planner and Partner at Rising Tide, where she’s on a mission to help women turn financial clarity into a superpower.

With roots in corporate finance and a decade spent shaping strategies that align money with meaning, Rebecca knows that wealth is about freedom, not just figures.

A mum of two and a lifelong advocate for financial equity, she’s committed to making advice both accessible and transformational. For Rebecca, real success is when clients use their finances to build the life they truly want—not just the one they think they should.

Bec Wilson is the author of the 2023 bestselling guidebook How to Have an Epic Retirement, a nationally syndicated weekly columnist with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald The host of the Prime Time with Bec Wilson podcast (9Podcasts), for those embracing the second half of life and looking into retirement; and the creator of the Epic Retirement Online Education Program, which is rolling out in partnership with superannuation funds and corporates in 2024.

She’s a passionate longevity and modern ageing expert who eagerly follows global trends and wants to help people live longer, better quality lives.

She’s a dynamic and entertaining presenter who speaks with depth and confidence about everything that matters in today’s modern retirement and pre-retirement years. Bec covers everything from financial confidence and longevity to health, happiness and fulfilment, travel and bucket list dreams and the evolution of your housing needs through the second half of life.

Bec is a powerful guide, weaving a selection of scientific evidence, stories and self-help tips for modern, ‘epic’ retirement and midlife lifestyle seeking throughout her performances to make them impactful and memorable.

Bec Wilson was the founder and CEO of Starts at 60 for ten years, the largest online community for Baby Boomers in Australia and New Zealand. Since 2012, she has turned a fledgling website and popular Facebook brand into a market-dominating content powerhouse for digitally savvy older generations in Australia. In 2023, she launched How to Have an Epic Retirement, which was the #1 Self Improvement Book by an Australian Author for more than six weeks in a row. And her podcast, Prime Time with Bec Wilson, has graced the Apple Top 100 each week since its launch in October 2023.

Rebecca Wokes is a National Key Account Manager at Netwealth. With experience in Sydney, London, and Singapore, Rebecca leverages innovative solutions to build strong client relationships and drive strategic growth.

Rebecca’s achievements include positioning Netwealth as an industry tech leader through AI and innovation workshops and the implementation of cutting-edge products. Her collaborative approach has led to the swift adoption of new tech initiatives.

Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys trail running, ultra-marathons, playing netball, and traveling with her family.

Rhonda is the Practice Principal of Mansell Financial Services located in the magnificent Baross Valley in South Australia. 

With nearly 20 years in financial planning practices and a string of awards under her belt, she consistently strives to deliver exceptional service while optimising process efficiencies to ensure best outcomes for her clients.

Rhonda characterises her approach as a blend of empathy, responsiveness, and a drive for continuous improvement, ensuring that clients receive the highest level of service and satisfaction.

A consulting professional with over 17 years’ experience in financial planning. Rocco is a specialist in financial services and technology with a passion for efficiency and business coaching.

Currently Rocco is an Advice Client Process and Experience Specialist at Entireti. Previous experience includes management and consultant roles in Financial Planning and Technology organisations in Australia.

Rocco has a Bachelor of Accounting, Advanced Diploma Financial Planning, CSSGB, Professional Scrum Master II.

Ronald Temple is the Chief Market Strategist for Lazard’s Financial Advisory and Asset Management businesses. In this role, Ron provides macroeconomic and market perspectives to Lazard’s investment teams on a firmwide basis and works closely with Lazard’s Geopolitical Advisory group to assess economic and market implications of key geopolitical issues globally. Ron also advises clients of Lazard’s Asset Management businesses regarding macroeconomic and market considerations that are important to achieving their objectives. Previously, Ron was the Head of US Equity and Co-Head of Multi-Asset Investing for Lazard Asset Management. In this role, Ron was responsible for overseeing the firm’s US equity strategies, Multi-Asset investing, as well as several global equity strategies. He was also a Portfolio Manager/Analyst on various US and global equity teams. Ron joined Lazard in 2001 as an equity analyst with ten years of global experience including fixed-income derivative trading, risk management, corporate finance and corporate strategy in roles at Deutsche Bank AG, Bank of America NT & SA, and Fleet Financial Group in London, New York, Singapore, San Francisco, and Boston. Ron has an MPP from Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Economics & Public Policy from Duke University

Samantha draws from her experiences as a world class endurance athlete, social impact entrepreneur, founder of Her Trails, an international keynote presenter, and an ambassador for AIA Vitality and World Vision.

Samuel Ruiz is a portfolio specialist in the International Equity Division. He is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Australia Limited.

Sam’s investment experience began in 2008, and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2020, beginning in the Equity Division working on the firm’s Global Equity Strategies. Prior to this, Sam was employed by Macquarie Investment Management in the area of strategy in the Equities Division.

Sam earned a bachelor of applied finance from the University of South Australia.

Sarah Abood is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA). The FAAA was formed in April 2023 from the merger of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) and the Financial Planning Association (FPA), and is Australia’s leading professional association for financial planners and advisers.

Sarah has over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services sector and she is a passionate advocate for financial planning. She has a deep understanding of the profession, and the demands of running an advice practice, gained from her nine years as CEO of a privately-owned and self-licensed financial planning firm.

Prior to commencing as FAAA CEO, Ms Abood held the position of chief operating officer at the for-purpose fund manager HOPE Housing. She has also worked in senior leadership, change and transformation, and marketing roles for some of Australia’s leading financial institutions including Fidelity International, CFS, BT, Westpac, Rothschild and AMP. Sarah holds a BA from the University of Sydney, an MBA from Macquarie University (MGSM) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

As Head of Portfolio Solutions at Entireti, Sarah McCarthy leads a team of investment experts responsible for developing and executing highly valued and competitive portfolio solutions for Australia’s largest Adviser network.

Prior to joining Entireti, Sarah spent 15 years with the AMP Group, where she led the Research Service offer for the AMP Adviser network and served as a Strategic Account Manager and Business Manager across all three aligned licensees and Jigsaw Support Services.

With over 25 years of experience in financial services at both practitioner and corporate levels, Sarah has developed extensive knowledge and skills in investment management, portfolio construction, licensee management, governance, and advising clients, business owners, and financial planners.

Sarah holds qualifications in Financial Planning and Mortgage Broking and is a Certified Financial Planner CFP® Professional of the Financial Adviser Association of Australia.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, cooking, entertaining, volunteering, and living a healthy, active lifestyle. She is married with two children.

Scott Hoger is a seasoned professional with over twenty years of industry experience, currently serving as the National Manager, Education and Partnerships at TAL. Having embarked on his career at a young age, Scott cultivated a strong understanding of financial planning, with a particular emphasis on contemporary insurance advice.

At TAL, Scott’s role revolves around offering strategic risk advice to financial advisors and licensees, ensuring they are equipped with the most valuable insights to serve their clients effectively.

Shan is a business coach, facilitator, and strategist having worked closely with some of Australia’s leading financial advisory firms during the 10 years he has been with the Macquarie VAN team. He enjoys helping passionate business owners reach their potential by bringing clarity to how they tackle opportunities and challenges. Areas of specialisation include strategy development and execution, change management, client experience, organic growth and mergers and acquisitions.
• Bachelor of Business and Communication
• 15 years at Macquarie
• 8 years consulting to financial advisory firms of $1m to $50m annual revenue

With more than two decades of experience in the finance and banking industry, Sonya brings a wealth of expertise in business development, which has been primarily based within the third-party banking and aggregation sector.

Sonya’s focus is on driving business growth through enhanced processes, strategic planning, and leadership. Her passion lies in fostering operational excellence and sustainable growth, helping businesses thrive in a competitive landscape. 

Stephen is a founding Director of Prova Profiling and serves as the Director of Psychological Services, bringing over 35 years of expertise in corporate psychology and human capital consulting. Throughout his career, he has worked with some of Australia’s largest organisations, providing invaluable insights in corporate planning, human resource management, and individual and team skills profiling. Stephen’s deep understanding of human behaviour and organisational dynamics has positioned him as a sought-after consultant for optimising team performance, fostering growth, and driving success in diverse business environments.

Under Stephen’s leadership, Prova Profiling has been a trusted partner to AMP for over 15 years, building on its foundational work with AXA, IPAC, Hillross, and AMP Financial Services. Prova delivers tailored psychometric profiling for wealth management roles and provides the AMP Human Resources Pack, enhancing recruitment and development processes. Stephen’s specific expertise spans profiling, team building, sales training, and recruitment selection, making him a pivotal figure in shaping high-performing teams. As a member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS), Stephen combines academic rigor with practical application to deliver exceptional results for his clients.

Stephen Doyle is the Head of Distribution at tech-driven, non-bank lender Bridgit, which specialises in bridging loans. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, of which 20 years were directly in aggregators, which has contributed to his track record for accelerating company growth. 

Based in Singapore, Toby is responsible for representing the firm’s fixed income platform and strategies across APAC. Toby joined Neuberger Berman from Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM) in Singapore where he was part of the Asia & EM Fixed Income team. Prior to this, he worked at Fidelity Worldwide Investment in London covering rates and inflation-linked strategies. Toby earned a BA (Hons) at University College Utrecht in the Netherlands and an MSc at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He has been awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Tonya entered Financial Services in 2003 and has worked across companies such as CFS, AMP, HUB24 and BT in business development roles in both insurance and wealth management and has focussed on the latter in platforms for the past 17 years. Prior to this, she was a financial adviser and has found this experience, to be incredibly insightful in understanding the needs of practices and licensees and is ever passionate and fascinated by the ongoing changes in our industry. She joined BT in 2018 as State Manager for New Business, and currently Tonya holds a leadership role in National Accounts. In her previous life, Tonya was a production manager for an event company, a cake decorator, and makeup artist. She is now the proud mum of 2 children: Amelia, age 8 and Oliver age 10, she plays netball (badly), and loves camping.

Travis Hall is the National Sales Manager for Broker Distribution at AMP Bank, where he leads the road-based BDM team and manages relationships with brokers, fixed income brokers, and aggregators to drive lending and deposit growth. With over 30 years of experience in banking and franchising,

Travis brings a wealth of knowledge and trusted industry relationships. His deep understanding of customer needs will be invaluable during this pivotal time in AMP Bank’s transformation. 

Mark Borg is the Principal of an integrated financial planning practice based in Unley Adelaide – MBA Financial Strategists (MBA FS). He started MBA FS as a small financial planning practice in 1985. It has grown to a business that now employs over 30 people and has over $1B in Funds Under Management. In 2016 and 2017, MBA FS was recognised for its achievements in best practice and client service by being named AMP Financial Planning’s Practice of the Year in SA/NT. In addition, the practice was shortlisted as one of only three finalists in the national 2017 Financial Planning Association (FPA) Award for Professional Practice of the Year.

The practice’s overriding focus is to provide holistic, professional financial planning advice and mortgage broking to defined client target markets, tailored to suit their individual situations and designed to help them reach their goals at every stage of life. The key services offered include: Financial Planning, Superannuation, Retirement Planning, Personal Insurance, and Debt Advice.

Mark himself has been recognised over the years for delivering best practice advice for his clients and in 2017 he was added to the Most Trusted Adviser Network and in 2015 was shortlisted for the Financial Planning Association CFP® Professional of the Year award. His role as Practice Principal allows him to oversee his team of professional financial advisers and the mortgage broker to provide strategic direction and further growth for the business.

Additional Achievements and Initiatives:

• Acquired 16 practices over the years.
• Successfully migrated clients to a professional servicing model, establishing a shared team understanding of the value of advice.
• Linked practice and team members’ development to key performance indicators (KPIs) and established clear KPIs for all staff.
• Implemented a graduate training program at MBA FS.

Mark’s mantra: “If you can measure it, you can improve it.”

Mark is married with two adult children and is an avid snow and water skier.

In over two decades of investing in equities based in Sydney and Singapore, Alison has worked through various market cycles and navigated major market events. Alison is an investment director at Antipodes and a member of the senior investment team. Prior to joining Antipodes Alison was an investment analyst with Smith Tan Asset Management in Singapore and a deputy portfolio manager at Kingfisher Investments, a Singapore-based family office. From 2004 to 2015 Alison was a senior investment analyst at Platinum Asset Management where she covered a range of sectors in Asia, with a focus on India, ASEAN and South Korea.

After being selected in the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s graduate program Alison commenced her investment career at AspectHuntley (now Morningstar) as an associate analyst with responsibility for a portfolio of Australian small cap stocks.

Alison holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Finance and Accounting from the University of New South Wales.

Ash started his career in banking and financial services in 2004 after graduating from RMIT with a ‘Master of Finance’ degree. Since then, he has held various technical, management, and leadership positions enabling him to gain a wide range of knowledge and experience. He is the Co-Founder and Director of ‘Wealthy Me’, ‘Fin Me’, and ‘Cover Me’. These businesses have been instrumental in his goal to empower his clients to take control of their financial future.

In his current role as a Principal Financial Adviser, Ash offers tailored financial solutions, personalised investment and risk mitigation strategies, and unwavering support. He will help you set goals, create a roadmap, and navigate the ever-changing financial landscape. In essence, he will help you ‘unlock your financial potential” and work towards financial security and peace of mind.

Scott began his career in financial planning as a graduate of AMP Horizons in 2009 before taking a position with Brisbane Hillross. In 2012, he founded Hillross Montefiore & Co, a financial planning business with a subspecialty in medical clients. In 2022, after growing the business to a team of 12, the business merged with William Buck QLD so that both businesses could offer a full suite of services to their clients. The merged business now has 140 staff across two locations in Brisbane and the Gold Coast as well as a team in the Philippines.

In addition to leading the wealth and lending businesses at William Buck QLD, Scott also works with Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Psychiatrists, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Healthscope Hospitals and Arora Health where he provides CPD training as part of their professional development programs on structuring both personal and business structures and financial planning strategies for medical specialists.

Scott is the current Chair of the TAA, having previously been the Vice Chair for 2 years and on Consultancy Groups for over 10 years prior to that.

Scott holds a Masters in Business, Majoring in Applied Finance and is also an SMSF Specialist Advisor TM.