Phil commenced with Infocus on 2 March and will lead the firm’s Professional Standards function, supporting advisers across the Infocus network to uphold strong governance, compliance and operational practices.

Working alongside Annika Coutts, Head of Risk and Compliance, Phil will oversee adviser audits, quality advice coaching, business health checks and adviser support, helping ensure Infocus’ governance framework remains both robust and practical for advisers running high-quality advice businesses.

Phil brings more than two decades of experience across financial services governance, audit and regulatory compliance.

He joins Infocus from Count Limited, where he served as Head of Professional Standards and was responsible for governance, risk and compliance oversight across multiple Australian Financial Services Licences (AFSLs), supervising almost 600 authorised representatives.

Prior to Count, Phil spent 16 years at IOOF Limited (now Insignia Financial) leading national compliance and adviser oversight functions, with responsibility for monitoring and supervision of more than 700 financial planners and overseeing audit, risk and remediation programs across the advice network.

Darren Steinhardt, Founder and Managing Director of Infocus, said: “Infocus exists to support advisers in running high-quality businesses so they can focus on delivering the best outcomes for their clients.

“Strong governance and oversight are fundamental to that. Phil’s deep experience across compliance, risk and adviser supervision will further strengthen the guidance and support we provide across the Infocus community.

“Phil’s perspective and leadership will be valuable as we continue building the frameworks and support that help advisers across our community succeed,” Steinhardt concluded.

Commenting on his new role, Phil said: “The advice sector has been through significant change over the past decade, and advisers are operating in a far more complex regulatory environment than they once were. Getting the balance right between clear governance expectations and practical support for advisers is really important.

“What appealed to me about Infocus is the focus on helping advisers run strong, well-governed businesses while maintaining high standards of advice. That combination of oversight and genuine adviser support is critical for the long-term health of the profession,” he continued.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team and getting to know advisers across the expanded network.”

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