About Todd

I’m an Australian expatriate expat who decided to leave the sunny shores of Perth, Western Australia for the polluted mountains of Hong Kong. Seeking to be in the vortex of the world financial markets and close proximity to the rise of China and India, I set out to design my own private wealth management firm that specializes in the growing number of Australian’s moving offshore.

Born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, I was a Prefect of Aquinas College and graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Commerce (Property Major). I spent my early years in financial planning and have been advising individuals and business owners since 1996.

After moving to Sydney to work with AMP, I was headhunted by HSBC Australia to set up their National Financial Planning arm and was appointed NSW State manager at the age of 26. The experience provided me with all the tools needed to run, recruit and grow a business without risking my own capital.

Wanting to gain more control of my future and to explore the rest of the world, I moved to Hong Kong in 2002 to join the largest independent financial advisory in Asia. Years later and I had built a considerable client base, earning accolades for “Financial Adviser of the Year” in my final two years.

However, the burning desire to still run my own private wealth management firm led to discussions with two other partners and in 2009 during the largest global financial crisis in 80 years, EXS Capital Asia Ltd and EXS Capital Protection Ltd welcomed me aboard as equity partner and Managing Director. 

Walking between two worlds of financial advice

I like to think of myself as a wealth strategist and not just some financial adviser who is pushing financial product.  This was difficult to achieve offshore so I decided to bring the Australian financial planning model to Asia.  This means full disclosure of payments received by my firm is made clear to clients upfront, and we don’t take any upfront investment commissions.  This has allowed me to better align myself with my clients interests and to grow with them.  That meant I had to be licensed in two financial jurisdictions.  Now I am fully licensed in two strongly regulated jurisdictions…both Hong Kong and Australia. As a self published author of my own book, it makes me the only dual qualified author/adviser in the offshore market which I am very proud of.

I don’t say this to impress anyone, but more importantly to impress upon Aussie expats that they should carefully research the advice they are getting when living offshore and ensure it is both qualified and regulated for their own protection.

In Hong Kong, I am fully licensed as a Technical Representative with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commissions (SFC), giving me the authority to advise on securities and to manage assets for clients in the offshore market.

 

I am also the licensed Chief Executive with the Confederation of Insurance Brokers (CIB) which is the largest independent insurance body in Hong Kong to provide advice for insurance products and services.

For Australian’s, it is highly important that when they go overseas they still receive Australian centric advice, and yet they need an adviser that understands the offshore wealth management world. This is where my advice is created and researched through study, workshops and simply meeting over 5,000 Australian expat’s over the last 10 years. This experience has been condensed into 174 pages for a book I wrote called “The Wealthy Aussie Expat”. With little information available anywhere for “High Net Worth” Australian Expat’s, I wrote this book specifically with this market in mind.

Needing a home for my Australian financial planning licenses I did some due diligence on the financial advisory landscape in Australia for a dealer group that shared the same wealth management values. After much research I found a home with Symmetry Financial Group Pty Ltd which is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Sentry Financial Planning Pty Ltd.  Sentry are one of Australia’s largest network of independent financial advisers and they provide the platforms, licenses and support for me and my Australian clients both inside and outside Australia.

A dealer group like Sentry supports independent financial advisers but you still need to have your own business.  This is why I chose to work with Symmetry Financial Group because the directors of that firm share the same client care and investment philsophy that I do.  Their office is in Perth, Western Australia and their website is currently being updated but please view the profiles of the directors at www.symmetrygroup.com.au

You can find my Australian license details online with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) by clicking on the link here or see below.

This means I can offer my clients:
 
• Investment platforms both in Australia and offshore that can trade any stock
exchange in any currency around the world
• Access to direct property though third party associates in both Australia and offshore
• An insurance brokerage with the largest life offices both in Australia and offshore
that supports large case life insurance
• A network of third party associate firms that specialize in international tax planning
for Australian expatriates anywhere in the world
• An introduction to banks or mortgage brokers both in Australia and offshore where banking pools are larger and more liquid

The best way to understand these licenses, the parties involved and how Aussie expats are protected by regulation is to watch the video below.  I walk you through what is a dealer group and what is a “Corporate” and “Sub Authorised” Representative so you can understand the industry better both onshore (Australia) and offshore.

What is an “Aussie Expat”?

An Australian expatriate (expat) is someone who has Australian citizenship but not residency in Australia. Take me for example.  I have an Australian passport and can vote at federal elections, but I live in Hong Kong as an Australian “non-resident” and I call Hong Kong home.

Get the first chapter of “The Wealthy Aussie Expat” book…FREE. This chapter addresses many of these issues and is entitled “Becoming an Aussie Expat”.

What is a “High Net Worth” client?

My firm classifies “High Net Worth’s” as any client worth $2million AUD (net of debts) and above.

Seminars & Public Speaking

There are many articles and regular columns I have written over the years. For Benchmark Magazine, Prestige Magazine, The List, Connections Magazine, and The Australian Chamber of Commerce to name a few. As a speaker you may book my services for:

1. Personal advice
2. For group or company seminars, conferences or workshops
3. Train existing financial advisers within financial planning firms

…by visiting “Hire Todd”.

What I like to do outside of work

Sometime ago I had a number of clients that kept on asking me what I did with my spare time.  Reluctant at first but over time as I added more about my personal interests online I seemed to be getting more and more people asking me about it.  Soooo…here is a previously written profile.  At the end of the day, it’s a good opportunity to get to know me better.

A two time Australian Heavyweight Tae Kwon Do Champion, Todd represented Australia at the 1994 World Championships where he won bronze in his first international competition and was nominated for Perth’s “Sportstar of the Year” award.

A year later he fought the World Champion Mark “Oggy” Osborne to a draw. Todd trained with two times World Tae Kwon Do Champion Tony Curtis in Perth and operated two martial arts schools before making his journey into the world of finance.

Though much heavier and much slower these days, Todd continues his training in mixed martial arts to this day and can be found at Jab Mixed Martial Arts Studio in Hong Kong on most evenings.  Come down for a grapple, kick or punch and you will find a bunch of people who will like that sort of thing.  Ask for “Wonks” (Yeah…that’s his name but I wouldn’t joke about it!).

1994 World Taekwondo Championship – Australian Team Demo

At the close of the 1994 World Taekwondo Championships held in England, the Australian Taekwondo team was invited to perform their trademark demonstration to the 3,000 plus strong crowd.

Watch the video below and see the comedy value of the Aussies led by Tony Curtis who not only won his division but was voted “Best Tournament Fighter”.  Pound for pound he was one of Australia’s best ever Taekwondo fighters.  Todd previously owned two martial arts schools (back in the day) with ATI Martial Arts Perth, Western Australia.  If you live in Perth and love martial arts, drop in and ask for Tony.

Taekwondo Board Breaking Demo

Taken in 1994, it shows a much lighter Todd performing with the Australian Taekwondo Team members at the annual club gala where everyone had a bit of fun without being too serious. It’s a bit scratchy but shows the entertaining side of martial arts with board breaking. Enjoy.

Charity Work

Now retired from competition Todd enjoys recreational running for charity with his wife Kate. In 2005 they completed the New York Marathon for the “Child Welfare Scheme”, a charity to house and educate the children of Nepal. However, if you are out and about in Hong Kong and see Todd trailing his wife by a couple of kilometres, don’t worry, she always kicks his butt.

Many of the seminars Todd runs donates proceeds to the Child Welfare Scheme and this is a very worthy cause.  For donations for Hong Kong residents of $200 HKD and above you will receive a tax deduction.

To watch a video of how $11,000 HKD was raised for the charity in under 4 minutes, watch this video here where a Western Force rugby union jumper signed by former All Black Player and Coach John Mitchell went in a bidding war.

Sitting with clients aboard a junk in in the Hong Kong harbour, the evening raised another $8,000 HKD with an AFL Geelong Football jumper signed by premiership captain Tom Harley.

Family

Todd has a beautiful wife, daughter and a son due in January 2011.

Todd is extremely fortunate to have a beautiful daughter Ava.

Do you see any similarities?