The Trusted Adviser

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, host Rob Pyne speaks with Jerry Kalogeropoulos, the founder of Aptium Assist, a business specialising in outsourced back-office support for financial planners. Together, they explore the growing trend of outsourcing in professional services, specifically focusing on tasks such as paraplanning and client administration within financial planning. Jerry shares insights from his experience on the benefits, challenges, and operational nuances of outsourcing, offering financial planners a comprehensive look at what outsourcing might mean for their business.

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, host Rob sits down with Pat Gardner, Technology Lead at Collins SBA and host of the AdviceTech podcast on the Ensombl platform. Pat shares his unique journey from financial planner to tech innovator, highlighting the ways technology is reshaping the financial planning and accounting landscape. Together, they explore the integration of Salesforce CRM at Collins SBA, key software tools that have enhanced their CRM's functionality, and how forward-thinking firms are using technology to elevate client experience and streamline operations.

In this episode of The Trusted Adviser, Rob sits down with Richard Hernan, co-founder of Broadleaf Financial Group, to explore the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the financial planning industry. With over seven years of experience and 18 successful M&A transactions, Richard shares the strategies and lessons he's learned from working with entrepreneurial financial planning firms across Australia. The discussion dives deep into Broadleaf’s unique business model, the growing trend of industry consolidation, and how to build businesses designed to last for generations.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Tim Lane, a seasoned chartered accountant and the founder of FinConnect Advisory Group.  Tim has been active in the financial planning industry for 25 years and in this episode, he shares his expertise on the intricacies of valuing financial planning businesses and offers practical advice on succession planning. He delves into the key factors that can drive or detract from a business's value, and how financial advisers can prepare their firms for a profitable sale or transition.

In this first episode, Rob dives into the detail of the HPH employee share plan, sharing the experiences, challenges, and key takeaways from implementing an employee share scheme to incentivise and reward key staff members. The conversation covers the importance of aligning employee incentives with business growth, and how share plans can be a powerful tool for long-term retention and business success.