Tell me about the career path that led you to your current job?

I became interested in financial markets around the age of around 17. I was drawn to the challenges and what seemed back then as the unpredictability of markets. Upon leaving school I worked on the Australian Stock Exchange open outcry floor for a Stockbroking firm. Within my first year of working I experienced what is now known as “Black Monday”, when Equity Markets around the world plunged by around 20%.

After a while my interest turned to interest rates and money markets, and an opportunity came up and I was transferred to a role within the short term money markets team which I really enjoyed. I decided to take time out from work and obtain a degree from Charles Sturt University, Bachelor Business (Finance major) to allow me to progress further.

Upon graduation from University I worked for a Custodian in Fixed Interest performing back office administration. From 1997 for almost 20 years I worked as a Portfolio Manager at Antares Capital Fixed Interest in Sydney where our team managed over $30 billion in domestic Cash and Fixed Interest assets.

Tell me about your job at TPT Wealth. What are the core components?

At TPT Wealth we look to manage money to produce risk adjusted returns for our investors. My previous experience has taught me that financial markets are inefficient and we look to understand and protect against downside risks whilst maximising income for our investors.

What did you do this morning?

The first thing I do every morning is check to see what financial market moves have occurred overnight and I look at analysing the fundamental drivers of these market moves. Financial markets can be impacted by many factors such as economic data, commentary by central bank officials or market sentiment. Each day I keep abreast of economic data and market developments and the last thing I do before bed is look at market pricing and developments.

What experiences best prepared you for your job?

Having managed money through many different market cycles and events, I have learned that markets are inefficient and that I need to understand where there is value in terms of the yield curve and the credit cycle. One needs to have a willingness to have your beliefs tested as things are constantly changing.

I like to talk to different economists, read reports and look at differing economic or market views to test myself. In this industry you need to be flexible and adaptable and be willing to have your convictions tested.

What do the people who work in your team do?

Our team at TPT Wealth manage growth/equity funds as well as income funds, with the growth funds being outsourced to external fund managers who are responsible for stock selection and positioning. Our income funds are managed in-house with all decision making taking place within our team.

What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Currently with interest rates at all- time lows it is challenging to find good risk adjusted return. We constantly assess a wide variety of investments to determine where we can add value for our investors over the long term. We actively monitor our funds and financial markets to deliver the best risk adjusted results for our investors.

What kind of problems do you face on a day-to-day basis?

Markets are constantly changing in price and as we are active in markets on a daily basis we are required to negotiate with counterparties to determine the price at which we transact a security. This creates challenges as we are determined to transact at a price that is most beneficial for our funds, at times we will not transact if we feel the pricing is not appropriate or is not in our investors best interests.

What’s it like to work for TPT Wealth?

TPT Wealth has a very close knit feel and we have a desire to do our best for our investors as we are very proud of our history and track record. There is a greater opportunity to be directly in touch with investors and to understand the issues our investors face and their requirements from investments. Our desire is to add risk adjusted returns and value over a longer term, and not just outperform in the short term.

What makes it different from other financial services providers?

TPT Wealth have a fundamental eye for value and risk which allows us to manage money through various credit and business cycles. With this in mind there are times when we will bypass certain investments as the inherent risk is not in the investor’s best interests as we are not being appropriately rewarded for undertaking the investment. We do not chase short term performance but instead look to stay in the game over longer time frames. This is what I like about our organisation as we have the investors best interests at heart at all times.