FAAA Professional Practice Workshop - Get succession ready: The right game plan
Speakers
Founder & Director • Forte Asset Solutions Pty Ltd
Steve has enjoyed a successful 30 plus year career in financial services. Over the last 22 years’ experience, to the best of his knowledge, he have facilitated more than 250 Financial Planning business sales in Australia.
Steve is recognised by the Financial Services Industry as an expert. he has run, managed, and sold national dealer groups, financial planning and multi-disciplined businesses in Australia and thus his work is not just theoretical but overlaid with actual business sales or valuations that he have personally facilitated.
General Manager, Memberships • FAAA
Prior to joining the FAAA, she was with Mortgage Choice for over 14 years in a number of management roles, including General Manager, Mortgage Choice Financial Planning. She has also run her own consulting practice, helping business owners and CEOs take their business to the next level.
Tania has a Masters in Languages / International Management from the University of Waikato (NZ), a Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) from Kaplan and a Diploma of Financial Services (finance/mortgage broking management) from AAMC Training Group.
Chief Executive • Eureka Whittaker MacNaught
Chief Executive Officer • Goldsborough Financial Services
She started her career in financial planning in 1989 as a general office assistant in one of the first independent financial planning firms in Adelaide. She then worked in administration with an insurance company and later as a BDM with MLC.
In 1997, she joined Goldsborough as a paraplanner, a new role at the time. Her role gradually expanded to include compliance for the AFSL, Xplan and systems, and she became the inaugural CEO and a shareholder in 2013. Over many years incremental changes to Goldsborough’s pricing had been achieved. Susie had all the other shareholders and advisers at Goldsborough on board with the need for these changes and developed a fee calculator which: reflected the ‘Goldsborough Way’, closely aligning the value the clients received with the fees they paid. The following year, the project was to review each ongoing service client’s pricing and transitioned to the new arrangement.
She enjoys the challenges, opportunities and team spirit that working at Goldsborough has offered her for many years.
Managing Director • Muirfield Financial Services
Melinda holds an MBA from Deakin University, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, Accredited Aged Care Specialist, and serves as one of the Responsible Managers of Muirfield Financial Services AFSL. Her dedication to both clients and her team, through fostering meaningful relationships and upholding relatable values, has been pivotal to her ongoing success and that of Muirfield.
In addition to her professional roles, Melinda juggles Mum and Wife life, has recently joined the board of Geelong Community Foundation and is a founding committee member of Philanthropy 500 (P500). She excels in multitasking, prioritising, and completing tasks efficiently and effectively. Her ability to balance her professional and personal responsibilities brings her enormous pride and fulfilment.
Founder • Black Pearl Private Clients
Explore critical factors such as building your leadership bench, developing real clarity around your target client and value proposition, and establishing quality and timely data collection and analysis systems by implementing a fit for purpose technology stack. We will discuss succession options such as internal vs external succession vs merger, the advantages of a business valuation, tightening operations and how to package up your business ensuring good quality data to develop a quality Information Memorandum.
Also hear from three business owners who will share what worked (and didn’t) in their own succession journeys.
This exclusive Professional Practice workshop will illuminate critical actions business owners should be considering within their individual succession timeframe in order to achieve “a thrilling finish to a well-fought game.”
Please note that this workshop is exclusively for those Members who are working in an FAAA Professional Practice.
Learning Outcomes
Attendees will learn about the following:
- Evaluate succession readiness using T20, ODI, and Test Match timeframes to align planning with business lifecycle stages.
- Identify key valuation drivers including EBIT, pricing, and client metrics to improve business attractiveness and sale readiness.
- Develop technology and data strategies to support continuity, due diligence, and creation of a compelling Information Memorandum.
- Compare succession pathways and apply lessons from lived experiences to strengthen leadership, cultural alignment, and strategic decisions.
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 • 1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Location: Riverview 4 & 5
Type: Session