Ross Vanderwolf

Respected Brisbane-based financial advisory firm Rothgard Financial Partners (Rothgard) has formulated a strategic partnership with Fitzpatricks Private Wealth (FPW) with both founder Ross Vanderwolf and principal Gino Saggiomo, formally signed to join the FPW national network.

This announcement builds on Rothgard’s initial engagement with FPW in 2019 to help orient the Brisbane practice towards the private client market and establish foundations for the firm’s sustainable future growth.

Fitzpatricks Group CEO Jodie Blackledge said: “We are pleased to welcome Rothgard to the Fitzpatricks Private Wealth community of Lead Advisers. Genuine partnership begins with shared values and purpose. Our partnership with Rothgard’s like-minded advice principals bolsters a shared vision of advice as a true profession, underpinned by a core purpose to enrich the lives of our clients.”

Rothgard principal Ross Vanderwolf said the firm chose to formally join FPW after experiencing its unique Lead Adviser philosophy, collegial community and cultural fit. Rothgard had previously attended a Lead Adviser two-day coaching program and as a result, went on to accelerate a mutually beneficial partnership to receive ongoing coaching and realise its business development objectives.

Mr Vanderwolf said: “The Fitzpatricks Lead Adviser frameworks are simple and effective but require a mindset shift. It was the relationships, the one-on-one coaching from the Fitzpatricks team and existing advisers that helped us to embed the philosophy and position us to have greater confidence in the value of our advice.”

Rothgard’s Gino Saggiomo said: “It was clear early on that Rothgard and FPW were philosophically aligned.  Fitzpatricks understands us and our advice model, and provides a superior platform for Rothgard to continue to deliver quality strategic advice to our clients.”

As an additional professional development benefit for all parties, existing FPW Lead Advisers function as mentors. This arrangement will help steward Rothgard on its business transformation journey and see them establish clear yet tailored growth and succession plans.

Fitzpatricks Private Wealth is partnering with more like-minded and philosophically aligned businesses to create a growing national presence of advice professionals.

Blackledge stated: “The integrity and culture Rothgard brings to our group is highly prized, so there is a mutual appreciation and support. We offer multiple partnership pathways, from strategic alignments, equity partnerships and community groups. It is this flexibility to share in the vision of Enriching Lives that is a key priority for Fitzpatricks.”

Lead Adviser Program
Head of Business Growth and champion of the Lead Adviser program, Anthony Vaiente said, “Lead Adviser delivers the FPW advice philosophy inside a two-day coaching program. The program has helped many advisers to better articulate their worth and connect emotionally to their clients.”

The Lead Adviser course focuses on combining hard and soft skills to help advisers step more into business leadership and elevate advice to a profession. It also supports a client-centric business model and a unique philosophy of delivering advice to clients with more complex needs.

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Geoff Cattach (L) and Jack Regan at the AMP Advice Summit.

AMP has honoured Lifetime Achievers from among its Australia-wide network of financial advisers at the company’s annual Advice Summit in Sydney.

Advisers Geoff Cattach, Max Lewis and Ross Vanderwolf received the awards for their contribution to the Australian community, both in their roles as financial advisers and through their broader philanthropic work over many years.

This is the first time AMP has bestowed lifetime achievement awards, which in future will be awarded annually at the Summit.

Advice Summit draws advisers from across AMP’s adviser network, the largest in Australia.

Group Executive Advice and New Zealand, Jack Regan said it was important to recognise outstanding financial advisers and highlight the valuable role advisers play in their communities.

“Many of our advisers are very much pillars of their local communities,” Mr Regan said.

“By earning the respect of their peers and the thanks of their clients and communities these advisers help show the way forward for our profession,” Mr Regan said.

Mr Regan described how each of the financial advisers who had received an award had proved themselves by successfully guiding their clients and their practices over decades of change.

In his opening address to the Summit, Mr Regan explained how the industry is experiencing multiple changes, including rapid technology advancement, higher regulatory scrutiny and professionalisation. While these are creating disruption to traditional advice processes, AMP has been investing heavily into its advice practices, pioneering more efficient approaches that encourage more Australians to consider taking advice.

These include the AMP Goals 360 advice experience, which has been launched through its AMP Advice practices across the country.

“The technology we have built offers an elegant solution for advisers who are seeking efficient, compliant and innovative tools that reinforce their professional roles. It is the most sophisticated and contemporary technology in the market, reflecting our belief that goals-based advice helps people plan, track and realise their future.”

AMP’s Advice Summit wraps up on Friday 19 January.

About the Lifetime Achievement Award winners

Geoff Cattach, AM (AMP Financial Planning)

Geoff has represented AMP in different roles for more than 50 years, and served his community in and around Harvey in regional Western Australia as head of Harvey Financial Services. He takes pride in the fact that his first client from 1965 is still with him.

In 2009, Geoff was honoured with membership in the General Division of the Order of Australia for service to the community, particularly through the Children’s Leukemia and Cancer Research Foundation, and agricultural, health, sporting and historical organisations in the Shire of Harvey. He was also a finalist for the 2014 WA Senior Australian of the Year.

Ross Vanderwolf (Charter Financial Planning)

Ross’s career spans 36 years. He has twice been awarded the title of Charter’s Queensland State Adviser of the Year (2002 and 2007), was a finalist for the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) National Adviser of the Year award (2007) and is a Gerald Lippman Award winner (2007).

Ross has played a valuable mentoring role to many advisers over the years through the AFA and the Million Dollar Roundtable (MDRT), an international trade association formed in 1927 to promote best business practices and high ethical standards in financial advice and insurance broking. Ross was the first Australian to be appointed to the executive committee of the MDRT.

Max Lewis (Hillross)

Max gave up his career as a lawyer in the early 1980s to become a financial adviser, and was a pioneer of personalised financial plans when the practice was still in its infancy. He has served the community in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney for many years, both as an adviser and through his volunteer work with local schools and sports clubs.

Max has been active in advocating for better superannuation and pension legislation, and has been recognised for helping lobby for amendments to Retirement Income Stream Legislation through his representations to Federal Treasury over a number of years.

He has also been a contributor to the Cancer Council’s Pro Bono Program for cancer patients and their families in need of financial advice.

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