opportunities:
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What we do
We invest in Financial Advisory and Accounting SMEs and focus on growth and succession.
Who we do it for
Entrepreneurs who are looking to grow organically or through acquisition.
For those planning to sell in the medium-to-short term, there are opportunities to link up with an experienced capital partner to continue building on your legacy and ensure staff and clients are properly looked after.
At AZ NGA, our purpose is to support business owners to achieve their goals. We don’t take a ‘management’ mentality to our partner firms. The decision to invest and partner with a firm is made because we believe in the firm’s culture, people and strategy.
The stats
companies
locations
transactions
Our expertise
SME Leadership and governance
We empower business owners to run their business their way with the added benefit of input and oversight from AZ NGA’s experienced senior leadership team and the backing of a large, listed parent company.
We provide support to establish business goals, targets and key performance indicators.
Entrepreneurial succession
We provide innovative succession solutions for business owners who are seeking a staged exit but remain committed to taking care of staff and clients, maximising the value of their business, and recycling the equity to hand the baton to the next generation.
Capital for growth
Backed by one of Europe’s largest independent financial services companies, Azimut Group, we are uniquely positioned to provide flexible capital funding solutions.
Whatever your needs, we can design and structure a transaction to suit you. We can execute all types of deals including tuck-ins, book buys and large scale acquisitions.
Protection
Whatever challenges lie ahead, be they personal or professional, we can provide practical support including issues and crisis management, business coaching and the facilitation of conflict resolution.
At every stage of the business life cycle, we are here to provide guidance.
Community
Our SME partners are united by common values and a shared vision to collectively build a stronger AZ NGA.
Across the AZ NGA network, we are looking for opportunities to share costs, capabilities and customers. Our people generously share their experiences, insights and best ideas.
Why AZ NGA?
AZ NGA’s equity offer is flexible, with the ability to take a minority or majority interest in businesses and provide long-term buy-out options for shareholders.
AZ NGA’s valuation methodology is based on a multiple of normalised Net Profits after Tax (NPAT). The AZ NGA deal structure looks to ensure that all parties are aligned and growth and out performance are rewarded.
In addition to capital to fund M&A, AZ NGA can work with your business to:
Capitalise on the fundamental drivers of growth; drive operational efficiencies; and Protect against revenue shocks.
Hear from our partner firms
Paul Fog
After 25 years in business, financial advisory firm Henderson Matusch found itself at a crossroads.
In 2019, the group’s directors appointed an external consultant to conduct a strategic review.
That led to the appointment of CEO Paul Fog and a reinvigorated medium-to-long term growth strategy that focused on building the group’s core accretive business unit, financial advice.
It also included facilitating the smooth succession of MD and co-founder Colin Archard, moving from self-licensing to Fortnum Private Wealth, and sourcing the capital and expertise to pursue growth through M&A.
In 2021, Henderson Matusch decided to partner with AZ NGA to achieve its objectives.
AZ NGA supported them to complete a capital restructure and implement a substantial change management program.
Today, the business is clear and focused on the areas that it wants to participate in, and the areas that it chooses to outsource, according to Fog.
Hear from our partner firms
Nigel Plowman
AZ NGA is highly commercial and easy to work with. They are open to every idea that makes sense and nothing is too much trouble.
We’ve always been firm believers of organic growth but we wanted to supplement that with M&A on an opportunistic basis.
Nigel Plowman’s chance encounter with the principal of an accounting firm owned by AZ NGA led to a meeting with AZ NGA Chief Executive Officer Paul Barrett.
Over the next six months, Plowman and AZ NGA held numerous talks, resulting in AZ NGA’s 2018 acquisition of Plowman’s accounting and advisory firm, McKinley Plowman.
“I wasn’t looking to retire any time soon but my partners and I needed capital funding for growth and a solution to help key staff buy into the business,” Plowman said.
Since joining AZ NGA, McKinley Plowman has completed four additional acquisitions with another in the pipeline. Two staff members have participated in AZ NGA’s Future Leaders’ program and gone on to become equity owners.
Hear from our partner firms
Tim Brown
Warnnambool’s wannabe accountant turned AZ NGA future leader
Accounting and finance graduate, Tim Brown started his career with Commonwealth Financial Planning in 2012. By 2019, when the bank turned off ongoing service fees and terminated ongoing service arrangements, he had built a loyal, sizable clientbase. The decision left him at a loose end.
Brown eventually joined Easton in 2020. A year later, Easton and business partner Lisa McPherson merged their business with Harvest Wealth, also part of the AZ NGA network.
Harvest Wealth backed Brown’s candidacy to AZ NGA’s Future Leader’s program, which aims to recognise, retain, and reward the next generation of business owners.
“Right now, I’m an employed planner but my goal is to transition to business owner in the next 12-24 months,” Brown says.
“When it comes to providing financial advice, my technical skills are excellent, but I need business acumen too in order to become a more rounded professional.”
“For young people who are enthusiastic about financial advice and want to be a leader in this emerging profession, AZ NGA provides a clear pathway and the support you need to get to where you want to go.”
Hear from our partner firms
Brett Schatto
Brett Schatto, Founder and CEO of Pride Advice, was only 44 years old when AZ NGA approached him in 2014 about an equity partnership
At the time, succession was the furthest thing from his mind.
In May 2015, Pride Advice became the second business to join AZ NGA. So far on the journey, Pride Advice has completed two acquisitions and almost tripled its revenue.
“Like it or not, advice is now a profession and business owners need the skills to run a professional services business. If they don’t have them, then they need to partner with a strong, experienced organisation to assist them,” Schatto says.
Hear from our partner firms
Michael Furness
Michael describes his personality as ‘’engaging’’ and his management style as “conservative”.
As the General Manager of Farrow Hughes Mulcahy (FHM), a financial advisory firm that manages the wealth of retirees and pre-retirees, being conservative is a good thing but he still wants to be challenged and stretched.
The firm’s strategic partnership with AZ NGA guarantees that.
From their first interaction, AZ NGA has continuously challenged Furness and the group’s founding partners, Michael Farrow, Craig Hughes and Daniel Mulcahy, to think big and act decisively to secure their future.
“We’re constantly challenged to increase our capability and capacity. We’ve been presented with a number of potential acquisitions and AZ NGA is able to arrange capital funding but our default position is, we’re successful, we’ve built in a level of comfort and our team culture drives us so any change has got to be compelling,” Furness says.
“We like being asked the question. We know we will be supported no matter which way we go.”
Hear from our partner firms
Lisa McPherson
“With a large network of businesses all going through the same challenges, we don’t have to go through things alone. AZ NGA has insights and ready-made solutions.”
“I feel great about the future because the industry is changing for the better, my business partners and I are all on the same page, and we’re backed by AZ NGA.” |
The majority of small-to-medium enterprises (SME) will never acquire or merge with another company. At most, business owners may be involved in one transaction in their lifetime.
In the space of five years, Lisa McPherson has participated in a string of acquisitions, mergers and demergers to finally arrive at a place she describes as “golden”.
“I feel great about the future because the industry is changing for the better, my business partners and I are all on the same page, and we’re backed by AZ NGA to achieve everything we want to achieve,” she said.
“With AZ NGA, if you have an idea or you want to do something, they’ll help you make it happen, provided it makes commercial sense.”
Hear from our partner firms
Matt Tuohey
We needed another voice at the table so things could get done.
We needed someone with experience dealing with complex shareholder relationships to help us work through our issues and bring about a resolution.
As an equal partner in a financial planning business, Matt Tuohey realised he needed to separate from his former business partner to achieve his career aspirations.
After a decade together, the duo found their views on how to take the business forward differing but both parties needed to agree on plans to progress. That consensus was rare, requiring a circuit breaker.
Relief came in the form of AZ NGA, which acquired Harvest Wealth in November 2015.
AZ NGA facilitated the smooth succession of Matt’s former business partner and a merger with another business in the AZ NGA network.
Today Matt and his business partners share a common vision and approach to delivering excellent advice and building a business of significant capital value.
Our organisation
What
people say about us...
The framework for growth
CEO, Pride Advice, Adelaide
An exciting & certain future
Financial Adviser & Partner, Harvest Wealth, Geelong
They worked with us
CEO, Henderson Matusch, Brisbane
Experience, scale and collaboration
CEO, McKinley Plowman, Perth
Solved our succession issues
General Manager, Farrow Hughes Mulcahy
Clear pathway and support
Financial Adviser, Harvest Wealth, Geelong
Support to make things happen
Partner and Adviser, Harvest Wealth, SHEPPARTON
United in vision, values & purpose
Partner and Adviser, Harvest Wealth, Mildura
Pipedream to reality in 18 months
Partner and Adviser, Financial Lifestyle Partners, Melbourne