Torty Howard

Escala, a leading Australian wealth advisory firm serving high-net-worth individuals, family offices and not-for-profit organisations, has announced a new adviser career framework and client origination incentive (COI), designed to attract, develop and retain talented young advisers.

Launching this month, the Escala Advisory Growth Track introduces a clear, competency-based pathway from entry level roles through to Investment Advisor, alongside enhanced learning and development opportunities, and an established mentorship program.

This comes as the industry more broadly faces several structural challenges, including falling numbers of advisers, gender imbalance, an ageing workforce, and evolving skillset requirements to keep pace with emerging technologies.

Torty Howard, Chief Operating Officer at Escala, said the move also addresses broader concerns around the pipeline of talent entering the advice profession, with the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) citing a 48% reduction in adviser numbers since 2019¹.

Ms Howard stated, “The advice industry continues to face challenges due to the widening gap in not only retail but also wholesale advice needs. The Escala Advisory Growth Track is intended to nurture our existing talent and bring in new talent. As a business, we focus on wholesale advice in the ultra high net worth and family office space and have a strong history of organic staff growth. Building on this success, it’s now important to introduce a clearer, more structured career pathway and framework, and help fill the advice gap in that space.”

She also underlined Escala’s commitment to promoting female participation in the industry and says that intention with this initiative is to increase clarity and structure to drive awareness of how accessible the pathway is in wholesale investment advice.

“Research shows that women represent as little as 22% of the industry.² With increasingly defined pathways we aim to drive better representation within Escala and the industry overall, as well as offering a diversity of advisors for clients.”

Belinda Jackson, Head of People & Culture at Escala and Focus Partners Australia said the program is underpinned by the recognition that progression is defined by the accumulation of experience, skills and exposure, rather than a succession of titles, and that careers aren’t always linear.

“Successful careers in advice do not look the same for everyone and we wanted to create a framework that reflects that reality. People can move laterally, build technical expertise, or pursue client facing roles depending on their strengths and ambitions,” said Ms Jackson.

“As a business, we’re investing in the future of financial advice and wealth management. The program we’ve introduced enables employees to take greater ownership of their careers while being supported by the business.”

“We know the industry is facing a decline in advisor numbers, so it’s critical we create clear, attainable pathways for people to build long-term careers, particularly in wholesale advice,” she said.

Ms Jackson believes that for many graduates and early career professionals, one of the biggest barriers is simply understanding how to progress. This framework removes that ambiguity and gives people a structured path forward.

“Additionally, our partnership with Focus US has created an opportunity to leverage leading edge learning and development to support this pathway.  Over the past six months we have had two cohorts of Advisors and Associates engaged in a Focus Growth program that is providing meaningful skill development from the best in the industry,” Ms Jackson said.

Client origination incentive

Escala has also introduced a new COI model to reward early career professionals for contributing to business growth, ensuring that team members continue to be appropriately recognised and rewarded

Under the model, team members who play a role in origination are eligible for a share of the associated revenue, aligning incentives with both individual contribution and firm growth.

The initiative is also designed to strengthen Escala’s employee value proposition, with a focus on structured learning, mentoring and on-the-job development, embedded throughout the career pathway.

“So much learning happens through experience, so providing meaningful exposure to clients and real work early on is critical,” said Ms Jackson. “Our role as an employer is to create the environment, support and opportunities that allow people to build confidence and capability over time.”

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Notes:
[1] https://faaa.au/adviser-education-reforms-vital-to-help-close-advice-gap/
[2] https://future-impact.com.au/industry-insights/women-in-wealth-report/

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The advisory and investment teams will remain largely the same but will now be more aligned with, and supported by, Focus Financial Partners. Clients will continue to benefit from industry-leading investment advice delivered by the expertise and guidance of seasoned advisors.

As part of this integration, Escala has enhanced its leadership structure to include:

• Ben James, who has been appointed CEO. Mr. James, who is a founding partner of the firm, previously served as its Head of Advisory.
• Torty Howard, who has been appointed COO.
• Simon Dawkins, who will continue as Escala’s Head of Capital Markets and Fixed Income Division.

In addition, Travis Danysh, Chief Corporate Development Officer at Focus Financial Partners, is expected to be appointed Executive Chairman of Focus’ Australian businesses, further strengthening the alignment between the two organisations. Mr. Danysh brings deep cross-functional experience that supports long-term value creation for clients. Prior to his current role, Mr. Danysh held other roles at Focus and has led various strategic initiatives across multiple Focus firms. Before Focus, Travis had a career in investment banking.

Mr. Dawkins will continue in his role leading Escala’s Capital Markets division, ensuring consistency and continuity within one of the firm’s most critical arms. Escala clients will also continue to benefit from leading investment insights delivered by the dedicated and experienced CIO team, led by Chief Investment Officer Tracey McNaughton.

James highlighted the significance of the integration, stating, “This integration completes the journey by formally bringing us into the fold of Focus Partners Australia. This is more than a structural change, it’s a strategic evolution. Joining forces with Focus Partners Australia allows us to set the foundation for our continued growth and evolution, through which we will deliver expansive solutions and a differentiated client experience through a unified and integrated global organization.”

“As part of the evolution of—and commitment to—Focus’ presence in the Australian market, we are excited by the opportunity to collaborate with our other businesses in Australia to build a scaled, premier wealth management organisation capable of delivering comprehensive services, deep expertise, and a personalised experience,” said Danysh. “The addition of Escala to Focus Partners Australia is an important step towards solidifying our position within the Australian market through a leading operating and growth platform, capable of delivering holistic solutions to our clients and their advisors.”

Ms. Howard reinforced the firm’s commitment to its founding principles while embracing the advantages of global integration, improved technology and reporting, and expanded operational scale. “Our investment philosophy remains unchanged, but it will be significantly enhanced by access to global resources and international investment solutions,” she noted.

“Escala will continue to deliver tailored investment offerings through a collaborative, team-based approach that is now further empowered by the expertise and capabilities of Focus. We are more aligned than ever to showcase our deep commitment to long-term client success.”

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Torty Howard

Escala Partners, one of Australia’s leading private wealth investment and advisory firms, has significantly strengthened its alternatives investment capabilities with the launch of an end-to-end investment platform. The platform, which will support Escala’s alternative offerings for its wealth clients, is designed to streamline operations and enhance the investment experience.

The Escala alternatives platform, set up in collaboration with the One Investment Group, will offer bespoke solutions to optimise operational workflows, including document processing, onboarding, subscriptions, performance reporting, tax management, investment calls and distributions processing.

Torty Howard, Co-CEO of Escala Partners, said, “The wealth management industry is undergoing a pivotal transformation, embracing alternative and private market investments at an increasing pace. We continue to see growth in this space as family offices and high-net-worth investors look to allocate more capital to alternatives to enhance diversification, hedge against inflation and achieve superior returns. At the same time, technological advancements are making these investments more accessible, efficient, and customisable.”

Howard added that the alternative investment lifecycle for clients involves a complex process spanning pre-investment (education, research, sourcing and due diligence), investment (strategy customisation, onboarding and subscriptions) and post-investment (performance reporting, tax management and capital distributions) processes.

“End-to-end capability like this is critical because it allows us to build, manage and maintain an entire alternative investment program while eliminating operational and administrative complexities – all through a single, integrated system. This will enhance the workflows of our Chief Investment Officer (CIO) teams, wealth advisors and operational staff, providing clients with a holistic view of their wealth, encompassing both public and private investments,” she added.

Ben James, Head of Advisory, Investment Advisor and Partner at Escala Partners, added, “Our clients are increasingly looking for sophisticated investment strategies that go beyond traditional asset classes. This capability provides them with a seamless and transparent investment experience, offering access to high-quality alternative investments with greater ease, efficiency, and clarity. By reducing operational friction and enhancing customisation, we are empowering our clients to diversify their portfolios in a way that aligns with their long-term financial goals.”

The alternative asset market has continued its strong momentum, with total assets now estimated at $16.3 trillion. Demand remains robust for private equity and private credit, while uncorrelated strategies are gaining traction as investors seek greater diversification amid an increasingly challenging economic environment.*

James also pointed to the continued expansion of private markets, fuelled by their low correlation to traditional asset classes. “Private markets are now an essential source of capital for innovation and economic activity worldwide, creating long-term tailwinds for investment in this space.

“As the number of publicly listed companies declines globally, the opportunity set in private markets continues to expand. Private investments are no longer just a niche allocation; they are becoming an integral part of sophisticated investment portfolios.”

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*Source: Escala Agenda https://escalapartners.com.au/insights-news/agenda/agenda-2025-alternatives/

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 “We are thrilled to announce that five members of our team have been recognised amongst the top 150 financial advisors in Australia by the prestigious Barron’s,” Escala Partners Co-Chief Executive Officer and Partner, Torty Howard, said.

“This incredible honour is a testament to our laser sharp focus on providing unparalleled service to our clients and highlights our vision to excel in the delivery of wealth management services,” she added.

Partner Ben James was ranked eleventh on the list of the top 150 advisors in Australia. James has been with Escala for over a decade and has 27 years’ experience as a financial advisor, during which time he has built up a wealth of clients. This is the seventh time he has been recognised in the top 20 advisor list.

“We would like to extend congratulations to all these outstanding advisors. Their dedication, expertise and ability to build trusted relationships with clients is truly inspiring. We are proud that their efforts to provide exceptional advice to their clients has been recognised by Barron’s,” Howard said.

Other partners included in the list were Amanda Fong (ranked 49th), Travis Pitt (ranked 75th), Tom Meagher (ranked 79th) and Ed Brooke (ranked 105th).

The Top 150 Financial Advisors List is a collaboration between The Australian and American investor magazine Barron’s, also owned by News Corp.

Advisors are ranked based on three general categories – client assets managed by the adviser, fees and revenue generated by their business, and the quality of the adviser’s business – and the listing is based on a survey of 55 questions.

“We will continue to build on our two pillars of growth – to put our clients’ interests first and support the future leaders in the wealth management space. That is our point of difference, offering a completely new experience in wealth management.”

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