National firm ranks swell with 9 senior adviser additions

In what chief executive and managing director Karl Morris called a “substantial” addition, national advice firm Ord Minnett has welcomed nine new senior advisers to its ranks as it looks to continue to grow its headcount across the nation.

The firm’s Melbourne office has added Malissa Tobias, Mark Heffernan, Shiva Vemula, Daniel Swallow, Andrew Epplett and Oscar Howard, while Chris Flynn and Charles Buxton joined in the Sydney office. Con Maglis will be working between the Gold Coast and Sydney offices.

“We have made it no secret Ords is looking to grow its client and adviser base, which is why we are actively recruiting top tier talent from all across Australia,” Morris said.

“This addition of nine advisers is substantial in today’s market, especially at a time when the demand for financial advice is high and adviser numbers are low.

“While we are growing through established adviser recruitment, we also remain committed to training new advisers and the next generation through our Associate Adviser Program and Graduate Program, which encouragingly are in high demand.”

Ords has also appointed three private wealth assistants who are set to start at the firm over the coming weeks.

Frank Hegerty, head of private wealth at Ord Minnett, said the expansion of its advice team will further strengthen Ords’ wealth advisory offering to its clients.

“Ords is able to service high-net-worth clients all over Australia thanks to the calibre of our wealth advisers across our 13 offices, with a 14th office to launch shortly in Noosa,” Hegerty said.

“The addition of established advisers across multiple offices will further strengthen our depth and offering in wealth management.

“As we continue to expand, it is encouraging to see so many high-quality, established wealth management professionals recognising Ords as wealth manager of choice and the ideal place for their clients, and we look forward to welcoming more through our doors.”

While the appointments are in senior adviser roles, Ords said it has also seen a doubling of applications for its Graduate Program, which is in its second year.

Applications have jumped from 250 to 500 year on year, which the firm said highlighted the increased interest from graduate students in the financial advice industry.

“At a time when adviser numbers have almost halved in Australia due to necessary regulation, it is incredibly encouraging to see such strong demand for a career in financial advice from our next generation,” Hegerty said.