Sma Sun

Australian Financial Services Licensee, Fortnum Private Wealth (Fortnum) has appointed former Insignia Financial Advice Delivery Senior Consultant, Samantha Sun, to the role of Practice Engagement and Growth Manager, as the group ramps up its focus on Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Based in Melbourne, Ms Sun will provide business strategy and coaching support to Fortnum’s existing member firms and seek to recruit high quality businesses, across those three states. She will report to Fortnum’s Head of Practice Engagement and Growth, Jason Gapps.

Ms Sun’s appointment follows the recent launch of Fortnum’s Business Optimisation Service (BOS), which aims to help advisers materially improve the quality, profitability and capital value of their businesses.

Mr Gapps said Ms Sun’s skills and experience strengthened Fortnum’s ability to serve and attract advice businesses in South Eastern Australia.

“Fortnum’s footprint is largest in New South Wales and Queensland but we want to increase our presence and capacity in all states,” he said.

“Around the country there are high quality businesses that we want to partner with. Our BOS program is a unique part of Fortnum’s service offer and Sam’s appointment further strengthens our ability to continue supporting advice businesses.”

Ms Sun said joining Fortnum presented a unique opportunity to utilise all her skills and experience, leaving nothing on the table.

“In my 24 years in this industry, I’ve held various roles in paraplanning, compliance, training and project management but the majority of my time has been practice management roles, and that’s the space that excites me the most,” she said. “I am passionate about supporting financial advisers to build strong businesses and achieve their objectives. There’s no better place to do that than Fortnum, which has a reputation for being a great place to work and a leader in financial advice.”

The post Business development and growth Sam Sun joins the Fortnum fold appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Neil Younger

Australian Financial Services Licensee, Fortnum Private Wealth (Fortnum) has launched a Business Optimisation Service (BOS) to help advisers materially improve the quality, profitability and capital value of their businesses.

The proprietary program is available to both Fortnum’s aligned practices and external businesses, signalling the group’s ongoing evolution from licensee to strategic business partner.

The launch of BOS follows the October appointment of Jason Gapps as Practice Development and Growth Manager, which further enhances the group’s capacity and capability to support advice businesses.

According to Neil Younger, Fortnum’s Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, traditional licensee services are fast becoming commoditised, forcing licensees to innovate and differentiate in order to meet the changing needs and demands of advice businesses and their clients.

“Foundational licensee services like brokerage, product research and compliance remain essential but they don’t move the dial and they don’t drive adviser satisfaction,” he said.

“Fortnum is focused on adding value in the areas that advisers care about the most including human resources, business coaching and technology adoption and integration.”

“Our mission is to support advice businesses to deliver quality advice and effectively manage and grow their business. This program is designed to help advisers lift operational performance, address problems and capitalise on potential opportunities.”

The BOS program is currently being rolled out across Fortnum’s network of over 90 practices.

The first step is a business diagnostic to gain a clear understanding of a firm’s structure, financial position and health.

The stage includes a comprehensive review of a business’ fundamental components. Businesses are assessed on 128 criteria, which are each rated from weak to strong to identify opportunities, issues and critical areas for improvement.

Based on a firm’s goals and priorities, a plan is put in place with clear actions, responsibilities and timeframes.

According to Rob Skinner, Fortnum Head of Practice Development and Growth, no two plans will be the same because every business is unique.

“BOS is a tailored program. The strategy and plans developed and put in place will be determined and shaped by the things that matter the most to individual business owners, advisers and staff. It will also focus on areas where the biggest stepped change can be achieved,” he said.

“In addition to operational and financial benefits, other benefits include greater clarity of mission, vision and strategy; higher client and staff satisfaction; and a stronger and more cohesive culture.”

The post Fortnum launches business optimsation service to aligned and external advisers appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Gapps joins Fortnum from Madison Financial Group where he was National Practice Manager. Prior to Madison, Gapps was a Senior Financial Adviser at Sydney-based advisory firm, Hunter Wealth Financial Advisers.

He has also held senior positions at ANZ Wealth, BT Financial Group and the Commonwealth Bank. Announcing Mr Gapps’ appointment at Fortnum’s Annual Conference on Tuesday, Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Neil Younger said the group was focused on working closely with advisers to build strong, thriving businesses.

“The needs and expectations of advisers and their clients are changing and we must also continuously evolve our proposition to support our aligned practices,” Mr Younger said. “Jason is well respected across the industry and he is a great addition to our team.”

Mr Gapps officially joins Fortnum on November 1 and will report to Rob Skinner, Fortnum Head of Practice Engagement and Growth.

“I’ve worked directly with many fantastic financial planning businesses and principals over many years and I’ve been an adviser myself so I have an intimate understanding of how advice businesses operate and the challenges and opportunities they are facing,” Mr Gapps said.

“Notwithstanding the challenges, this is a great time to be an adviser. Advice is increasingly recognised as a profession and demand is increasing, giving those who have decided to remain in the industry the opportunity to build exceptional businesses and help more people.”

“I am excited about Fortnum’s unique offer and the chance to work with Neil and Rob again, and be part of this great group.”

The 2022 Fortnum Annual Conference is being held of the Gold Coast from October 18-20. The theme of this year’s conference is “Good to Great” and will cover topics including characteristics of valuable businesses, maximising uniqueness and the advice firm of the future.

The post Gapps appears at Fortnum as Practice Engagement and Growth Manager appeared first on AdviserVoice.