People

An adviser with a non-traditional background, Liz Wheatley has developed into a specialist in guiding charitable organisations and philanthropists. The non-investment side is just a important as the rest, she tells James Dunn.

The SMSF adviser took an unusual path to joining the profession, one that involved almost a decade playing rugby on the hot sand and gravel of Saudi Arabia.

The respected lawyer will not see out his contract with the corporate regulator after accepting a role in the commercial sector.

Adviser James O’Reilly had a long-held personal ambition to “stick a pin in the ground” and make a difference, but it was realising how much his clients wanted leadership on sustainable investing that sparked change in the way his practice manages money.

“Sometimes, the market thinks we prioritise ESG factors above investment fundamentals,” says Perennial’s Emilie O’Neill. “But the reality is that it’s just another investment lens.”

Check out a selection of the images from The Inside Network’s inaugural ESG event in Tasmania, which saw a host of advisers, thought leaders and consultants share ideas on all things sustainability.

In between night missions in the Afghan desert, Warren Loudon would complete his financial planning assignments on a handheld ‘tough book’. “When I got back to base I’d submit them,” he recalls.

Like many people, Ashley O’Connor, head of investment strategy at Invesco Australia, did not exactly plan for the career he ultimately embarked upon. But some serendipity brought him to a role he truly values.

As a financial adviser, making the right decisions matters. Not just for your client’s investment returns but for your confidence as well.

With a long list of economic headwinds having hammered global growth and dampened investor confidence, the upcoming (second-quarter) US reporting season is going to be an interesting one.

Last week’s Australian unemployment figures showed spectacular improvement, with the headline figure falling to 3.5 percent from 3.9 percent, while adding 88,400 jobs to the economy last month.

With the RBA moving rates up another 50bps to 1.35 per cent, investors are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see if its punch was hard enough to contain inflation.