Terry Johnson

Synchron adviser, Terry Johnson from Keyman Financial Services in NSW, has won an inaugural AFA Great Advice Award (the Award).

Don Trapnell, Director of Synchron said, “We congratulate Terry on winning the NSW state Award. Terry is a risk specialist who has been a highly valued member of the Synchron community of advisers since 2018.”

Mr Johnson has been in the industry for more than 20 years and has built a business that puts the claim outcome front and centre.

“We give advice as if our client is going on claim tomorrow,” Mr Johnson said. “We believe that the true worth of a risk specialist adviser is only really tested at claim time, the rest is the pre-game.”

In announcing Mr Johnson’s win at the AFA’s recent EVOLVE conference AFA National President, Michael Nowak, said, “Terry has many claim stories of which to be proud. Not only has he administered pro bono claims, but he always shows the utmost care to his clients when they need it the most.”

Mr Johnson said, “I want it to be as easy for the mum and dad and tradie with three kids and a mortgage to access affordable insurance advice as and when they need it, as it is for a CEO or high income earner, if not more so.”

Keyman Financial Services is a small family business, now operating in the NSW Hawkesbury region. Mr Johnson’s adult children, Benjamin and Mia, are employed in the business and both are currently undertaking their Professional Year.

Mr Johnson appeared with Synchron at the Standing Committee on Economics (the Committee) in July 2021, where he spoke about the impact of over-regulation on advisers and on inflows, which ultimately led to increasing premiums resulting in fewer people holding onto or taking out life insurance.

“It is a self-feeding cycle…that needs a circuit breaker,” he said at the time, “and it needs it urgently.”

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Speaking at the AFA’s recent EVOLVE Conference, AFA National President, Michael Nowak said that due to COVID-19 restrictions and being unable to host a face-to-face conference, the AFA’s traditional adviser awards program was postponed, however the AFA still wanted to celebrate its belief in great advice.

“The AFA Great Advice Awards are about acknowledging great stories from financial advisers about the successful outcomes they have delivered to clients,” he said. “Advisers share stories that demonstrate the financial, behavioural and emotional value that their advice has provided.”

Each state had a winner and a finalist.

The NSW winner was Terry Johnson from Keyman Financial Services in Parramatta, NSW.

“Terry has many claim stories of which to be proud,” Mr Nowak said. “Not only has he administered pro bono claims, but he always shows the utmost care to his clients when they need it the most.”

The Victorian winner was Adrienne Rush from iCare Financial Advisory Pty Ltd in Melbourne.

“Adrienne is such an impressive adviser. She has been recognised as a finalist in the AFA’s Female Excellence in Advice Award twice,” Mr Nowak said. “Adrienne’s great advice story demonstrates both the financial and psychological benefits of advice.”

Gayle McKew from Prosperity Planning Partners on the Gold Coast was the Queensland winner. Gayle’s great advice story highlighted many interconnecting elements of holistic client and family financial care. “This included intergenerational wealth advice, estate planning and wealth transfer advice, portfolio management and retirement planning.”

South Australian Simon Capp from Treehouse Financial Planning in Adelaide won the award for a story which demonstrated the great care he exhibited in helping a client in distress after a family loss and empowering the client to continue a journey towards achieving their goals.

AFA Inspire National Chair, Dawn Thomas, from Integro Private Wealth in Perth was the Western Australian winner. “Dawn’s great advice story demonstrated her ability to build trust with a client who had previously received poor advice. She restructured the client’s financial affairs and provided guidance to help the client achieve independence and work/life balance.”

The AFA thanked Sunsuper for supporting the Awards and for their ongoing support of advice.

Sunsuper’s Head of Advice and Retirement, Anne Fuchs said, “We were proud to support the AFA Great Advice awards in 2021 and would like to congratulate all the winners and finalists. Sunsuper has 1.4 million members and close to 4,000 registered advisers, therefore we understand and deeply value the role financial advisers play in helping Australians achieve their retirement dreams.”

A list of state winners and finalists appears below.

Winners:

• Adrienne Rush (VIC)
• Gayle McKew (QLD)
• Dawn Thomas (WA)
• Simon Capp (SA/NT)
• Terry Johnson (NSW/ACT)

State Finalists:

• Tim Hall and Simon Green (QLD )
• Donna Lee Powell (WA)
• Nikola Radoicic and Paul Katranis (SA/NT)
• Craig Phillips (NSW/ACT)
• John Cachia (VIC)

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Mr. Sowerby will continue his position as Country Head and Managing Director for Legg Mason Australia & New Zealand, a role he has held since August 2016.

In his new and expanded role, Mr. Sowerby will continue to report to Terry Johnson, Head of Global Distribution and a member of the company’s executive management group. Mr. Johnson said: “Andy has more than 25 years of experience in senior distribution roles, including Board level experience at both Investec Asset Management and Martin Currie, an investment affiliate of Legg Mason. His management experience, coupled with his strong track record over the past three years leading our Australasian business, has made him the ideal candidate to take on additional responsibilities in this region. Lennie has been instrumental in establishing many of our business relationships in Asia and we would like to thank him for his contribution.”

Lennie Lim, Regional Head for Asia ex-Japan, will retire on 31 Mar 2020. Mr. Lim has been with Legg Mason for over 12 years and will be transitioning his duties to Mr. Sowerby over the course of the next few months.

Legg Mason is a diversified global asset management firm with nine investment affiliates spanning fixed income, equity, alternative and liquidity asset classes.

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