David Sharpe CFP®
Chair, Financial Advice Association of Australia
Sarah Abood
CEO, Financial Advice Association of Australia
Phil Anderson
CEO, AFA and GM Transformation, Policy & Advocacy, Financial Advice Association of Australia
David became Chair of the FPA Board in May 2022 after a year as Deputy Chair, and has been a financial planner and FPA member since 2003. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, has completed a Diploma in Financial Planning and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Distinction) from Curtin University. David runs his own self-licensed financial planning firm, Globe Financial Planning, based in West Perth. In 2016 he was shortlisted for the FPA CFP® Professional of the Year Award.
Prior to being elected onto the board David spent four years on the FPA Western Australia Chapter, including two years as Chair. David can often be found in various media roles (TV, radio and print) advocating strongly for the value of advice.
David is the Chair of the Governance and Remuneration Committee and a member of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee.
Session: Welcome – Introducing the Financial Advice Association of Australia
Sarah Abood is Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA). She has over 25 years’ experience working in the financial services industry and she is a passionate advocate for financial planning.
Sarah has a deep understanding of the financial planning profession, and the demands of running a financial planning practice. This was gained from her nine years as CEO of Profile Financial Services, a privately-owned and self-licensed financial planning firm and FPA Professional Practice.
Prior to commencing as FPA CEO, Ms Abood held the position of chief operating officer at HOPE Housing Funds Management. She has also worked in senior change and transformation, and marketing roles for some of Australia’s leading financial institutions. Sarah holds a BA from the University of Sydney, an MBA from Macquarie University (MGSM) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Session: Policy & advocacy update for members
Phil Anderson is the CEO of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA). Phil has spent over 8 years at the AFA in two different stints including most recently as the General Manager Policy and Professionalism. He has previously worked for Netwealth as General Manager Governance and Advice, and Colonial First State, where he was the Head of Risk Management & Compliance for the CFS Advice business. Phil has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, having also worked with AMP, MLC and Perpetual.
At the AFA, Phil has been responsible for policy and the implementation of the requirements of the Professional Standards legislation and the Royal Commission Recommendations. Phil has previously been integrally involved in the FoFA, TASA, Education/Professional Standards and the early stages of the Life Insurance Framework debates including driving the development of submissions to FASEA, Treasury, ASIC, the Tax Practitioners Board and Parliamentary Committees.
Phil is a CPA and has a Bachelor and Masters of Commerce along with the DFP and ADFP.
Conrad Travers
Director & Principle Consultant, Tangelo Consulting
James Alsop
Legal Practitioner Director, Deloitte
Sharon Murray
Tax Controversy Partner, Deloitte
Conrad has a 17-year history of working with organisations and licensees of all sizes in designing and delivering complex transformational change in risk, compliance, operations and project management.
Before starting Tangelo, Conrad worked for 10 years for ANZ Advice before transitioning to IOOF/Insignia, managing teams of 20-40 staff as part of head office and shared services functions for both salaried and aligned adviser networks.
Session: A taxing question: the deductibility of financial advice fees – update and practical guidance
Session: Putting policy into practice – regulation through to compliance
James is Partner at Deloitte (Legal Practitioner Director at Deloitte Legal) specialising in tax dispute resolution and litigation services.
James represents large public, private and international taxpayers in all phases of ATO engagement, including early engagement for advice and ruling applications. In this capacity, James has worked closely with the FPA to seek new public guidance and advice on the treatment of financial adviser fees.
James also acts for taxpayers in reviews, audits and objections tax appeals, administrative reviews and settlement negotiations.
Sharon is a tax controversy partner at Deloitte with over 15 years’ experience in corporate income tax matters.
Prior to joining Deloitte, Sharon was an Assistant Commissioner at the ATO in the Tax Counsel Network and Public Groups & International segment responsible for the private and public rulings program where she provided tax certainty on large-market transactions and international tax issues. She also managed the resolution of a number of strategic technical risks across market segments and has been involved in the drafting of numerous public guidance products.
Her experience includes advising on all stages of the dispute cycle with expertise in early engagement and dispute resolution, recognising that timeliness and certainty are critical to corporate decision making.
Felicity Cooper
AFA Adviser of the Year 2022 and Director & Financial Planner, Cooper Wealth Management
Amie Baker
AFA Female Excellence in Advice 2022 and Director & Financial Adviser, Rekab Advice
Shail Singh
Lead Ombudsman Investments and Advice Acting, AFCA
Felicity is a multiple award-winning Investment Manager, Financial Adviser, Entrepreneur, and Speaker who has earned the reputation as a seasoned and passionate leader in the financial space. Through the span of almost two decades, she has cultivated extensive first-hand experience in her field.
She is an awardee of merit for Business Woman of the Year, and finalist for both Investment Manager of the Year and AFP of the Year 2017.
Amie started out at St George Bank in 2004. She soon discovered a passion for helping people reach their financial goals. Along with personal life experience, marriage, children then going through divorce and starting her own business in 2009 as a single parent she knows all too well how such an important issue of financial planning can fall by the wayside. She has since remarried and has a beautiful and very busy blended family life.
Amie guides and educates her clients so they can take control of their finances, make excellent financial decisions, and reach their personal financial goals in a desired timeframe.
Amie has an uncanny knack of being able to explain complex and technical financial issues in a way that is simple and easy to understand and implement….. It’s just one of her many ‘superpowers’….
Along with excellent skills as a financial adviser, (2022 AFA Winner female excellence in advice award) Amie is also a money coach. Money Coaching is all about unlocking the habits and behaviours that can often hinder our success when it comes to money and more so our relationship with money. Getting your mindset right along with a clear and concise financial plan is a positive way forward in achieving your goals.
As a practitioner member of the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA), and NSW state chair of AFA Inspire, she – along with her planning associates, are updated on industry and legal issues and are required to undertake continual accreditation, professional development and training. She is also committed to meeting the strict professional standards of conduct as defined in the AFA Code of Ethics and Rules of Professional Conduct.
As well as your Financial Planner, you will also have access to a designated Technical Strategist who understands your situation and can provide technical assistance in your adviser’s absence, as well as a Client Administration Manager who assists with all administrative queries and changes along the way.
Shail completed a law/science degree at the University of Melbourne in 1996 and commenced his legal career in 1997 at a top-tier Australian Law Firm Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashursts). Since that time, Shail has worked both in-house, and as legal counsel for various regulators including Worksafe Victoria and the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria.
Shail completed his Masters in Law at the University of Melbourne in 2005, and in 2008 he left the law to train and work as a financial planner, completing his Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning in 2009 at Kaplan, before joining AFCA’s predecessor scheme, FOS, as a case manager in 2010.
Shail was appointed as an Ombudsman at the commencement of AFCA in 2018, and then the Senior Ombudsman (Investments and Advice) in 2021. He is currently the Acting Lead Ombudsman, Investments & Advice and is a member of AFCA’s senior leadership team.
Shail has now worked in dispute resolution for over a decade and is a specialist in Investments and Advice complaints. This includes financial planning, derivatives, managed funds, timeshare, cryptocurrency and stockbroking disputes.
Ian Donald
Ombudsman, AFCA
Michael Miller CFP®
Director, Capital Advisory
Mark 'Squiz' Squirrel OAM
Keynote Speaker
Ian was appointed as an ombudsman by AFCA in September 2019 after serving AFCA and FOS as legal counsel for 11 years. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and was admitted as a Barrister by the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2000. Ian has been involved in the financial services industry for 25 years in private practice, as a senior lawyer in ASIC’s enforcement directorate and with FOS and AFCA.
Michael Miller is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® and director at Capital Advisory, a combined financial planning and accounting firm based in Canberra.
He has also been appointed as an Adjunct Research Fellow at Western Sydney University, and panel member for the Australian Financial Complaints Authority and FPA Conduct Review Commission.
Michael has had articles published on a range of financial planning topics in trade publications, academic journals, and is the co-author of Ethics & Professional Practice in Financial Planning, published by LexisNexis.
From car bombings to meeting Yasser Arafat and making it to the summit of Mount Everest, Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell OAM has experienced more than many can dream about. When he headed to the East Timor Crisis in 1999 he was setting out on the adventure of a lifetime. It was a journey that would see him navigate some of the globes most brutal war zones to deliver emergency aid and conquer the world’s tallest mountain.
Squiz was awarded the coveted “Green Beret” whilst serving with the Australian Commando’s. His tenure with the military provided him with the skills and courage to succeed amongst adversity and turmoil. It was the perfect grounding for a career as an International Aid Worker.
Squiz escorted food convoys through the Gaza Strip, negotiated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamel Eelam (Tamil Tigers) and brokered deals with Somali Clansmen to ensure the safe delivery of United Nations food aid. In doing so, he has mastered the challenges of performing under pressure, communicating effectively and building relationships.
Squiz uses anecdotes and presents real time scenarios that demand lateral thinking to deliver relevant and practical tips for those working in today’s complex and fluid global market. The real time conundrums are presented via authentic video, Virtual Reality goggles and photos that have the audience embroiled in the critical decision making that led to his eventual success.
Now based out of Melbourne, Squiz provides keynotes, workshops and team building activities to develop workplace performance. Unique footage played through Virtual Reality goggles guarantee that your staff will have a life-like, high impact and unforgettable experience!
