Advice platform, AZ NGA has acquired integrated financial planning, accounting and wealth management firm, Financial Decisions, strengthening AZ NGA’s footprint on Sydney’s northern beaches and expanding its capability and capacity to serve high net worth individuals and families.

Headquartered in Mona Vale, Financial Decisions has 35 employees, including eight financial advisers, across two locations. The firm’s 16 shareholders are all employees or board members. It specialises in comprehensive strategic advice and multi-generational advice for corporate executives, professionals, small business owners, and family offices.

Paul Barrett, AZ NGA Group Chief Executive Officer, said the deal provided access to the northern beaches’ high growth corridor, an area where AZ NGA had previously lacked a meaningful presence.

“We are excited to partner with Financial Decisions to grow the business and deliver quality advice to more people,” he said.

“The firm’s integrated, multi-disciplinary model supports AZ NGA’s strategy of providing end-to-end solutions, ensuring stronger and deeper client relationships, long-term client retention and a steady stream of high-quality referrals.”

Financial Decisions’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Damien Cooper, said the partnership delivered succession and growth solutions, and created a pathway and opportunities for future leaders and partners.

It would also enable the firm to accelerate growth through M&A and organically by attracting experienced advisers as well as mentoring younger associates through their professional year.

“We had a good look at the various strategic capital partners in the market and their offers, and the partners and shareholders came together and agreed that AZ NGA was the right fit for us, not just in terms of their model and offer but the cultural alignment,” Cooper said.

“Succession and growth were the main areas of focus for us, and our partnership with AZ NGA positions us strongly for the future.”

The transaction will see Cooper step down as CEO to focus exclusively on advising clients, something he has wanted to do for some time. Cooper will be replaced by the group’s Managing Director and Principal Adviser, Blake Conde.

Conde said AZ NGA’s Super firm strategy reflected the natural and necessary evolution of the advice sector, drawing parallels to the accounting profession.

“Running an advice business is increasingly complex and expensive due to red tape and compliance, and additional considerations such as the compensation scheme of last resort, which is making it critical for businesses to find efficiencies in order to not only survive but thrive,” he said.

“Our focus is on delivering excellent service and advice to our clients and growing the business, and being able to leverage the resources, expertise and scale of AZ NGA gives us a competitive advantage. Advice businesses need to get bigger to meet the unmet advice needs of Australians.”

For more information, please contact:

Leng Ohlsson

M: 0409 509 516

E: leng@splashcontent.com.au