Key Personnel

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 
Eric Dodd
Chairman - Independent, non-executive director

Mr Dodd was appointed as Chairman and non-executive director of the Company on 2 July 2010. Mr Dodd has extensive operational experience of more than 30 years in the insurance and financial services sectors. In 1996, Mr Dodd joined NRMA group as Chief Financial Officer and, in May 1998, became the Managing Director of NRMA Insurance Limited and Chief Executive Officer of NRMA Limited. Prior to NRMA, he held senior executive positions within the financial services industry.

Most recently, Mr Dodd held the position of Managing Director and CEO of MBF Australia Limited for six years and was appointed Managing Director of the combined organisation when MBF merged with BUPA Australia in June 2008.

John Gannon
Deputy Chairman – Non-executive director

Mr Gannon has been in office as Deputy Chairman of the Company since 26 June 2011. Mr Gannon has 41 years experience in the wealth management industry, and was CEO of Gannon Growden Schonell group of companies, which became a subsidiary of Shadforth in 2008. Gannon Growden Schonell was a specialist financial advice and wealth management firm based in Perth, Western Australia.

Anthony Fenning
Managing Director

Mr Fenning has been in office as Managing Director of the Company since 26 June 2011. Mr Fenning has over 19 years experience in the financial services industry, having held senior management positions in leading Australian financial services and wealth management companies over this period. Mr Fenning held the position of Managing Director of Shadforth since inception of the company before the company merged with Snowball (now, SFG Australia Limited).

James Kilkenny
Executive director

Mr Kilkenny has been in office as executive director of the Company since 26 June 2011. Mr Kilkenny has over 23 years experience in the wealth management industry and is a founding principal of Kilkenny Rose, a specialist financial advice and wealth management firm based in Brisbane, Queensland, which was acquired by Shadforth in 2008.

Graham Maloney
Independent, non-executive director

Mr Maloney has been in office as a non-executive director of the Company since December 2009. Mr Maloney started his career working as an actuary in superannuation at National Mutual (now AXA Asia Pacific Limited). He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Stratagm Pty Ltd which provides advice and services to business (through board roles and consulting services) and to individuals (through mentoring and coaching).

His experience spans over 37 years working for blue chip organisations across a wide range of financial disciplines. These include life insurance and superannuation, general insurance, commercial banking and investment banking. His last executive role was with Macquarie Group Limited where he provided capital and funding advice to some of Australia’s largest financial companies. Prior to that he was Group Treasurer for National Australia Bank Limited.

Peter Promnitz
Independent, non-executive director

Mr Promnitz has been in office as Non-executive director of the Company since 26 June 2011. Mr Promnitz has 37 years experience in the financial services industry and currently holds the position of Regional Head for Asia Pacific at Mercer.

Naseema Sparks
Independent, non-executive director

Ms Sparks’ executive career includes strategic consulting, brand and retail marketing, and over 20 years experience in the advertising industry. She has held senior positions in leading agencies in Australia and UK, including DDB and M&C Saatchi. Ms Sparks is currently Managing Director of Y&R Group Sydney, which comprises George Patterson Y&R, retail specialist agency IdeaWorks and VML, a leading digital agency which is part of the Y&R Group global offering.

Ms Sparks graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Master of Pharmacology from the Victorian College of Pharmacy (now part of Monash University). She also holds a Postgraduate Market Research and Planning qualification and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Ms Sparks currently holds a number of non-executive directorships including Blackmores Limited, PMP Limited, DealsDirect.com.au, Chartis Australia Insurance Limited, Sydney Dance Company and Racing NSW. Past directorships include Mitchell Communication Group Limited, Melbourne Business School Limited, Monash IVF Limited, Melbourne International Arts Festival, and Racing Victoria Limited.

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM

SFG's Executive Management Team Includes the Managing Director, Anthony Fenning, and the below key management personnel.

Nick Bedding
Head of Shadforth Financial Group and Outlook Financial Solutions

Mr Bedding is the Head of Shadforth Financial Group and Outlook Financial Solutions (Outlook). The Shadforth Financial Group and Outlook are the wholly owned financial advice businesses of the Group, and together comprise the End to end adviser model. Mr Bedding is responsible for all financial planning, insurance and stockbroking operations of the End to end adviser model.

Mr Bedding holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and was awarded the McCarthy Medal as the top graduate. He was also awarded the ANZ Prize as the top graduate in Australia for the Diploma of Financial Planning from Deakin University. Mr Bedding has a Certificate in Financial Markets from the Securities Institute of Australia, is a Certified Financial Planner, a Senior Associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, a Master of Stockbroking, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.

Linda Fox
Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary

Mrs Fox commenced employment with Shadforth in 2007 and is the Chief Financial Officer and joint Company Secretary of SFG Australia Limited. Mrs Fox was previously a director, Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary of Schroder Investment Management Australia Limited, and Chief Financial Officer Merrill Lynch Private Australia Limited.

Mrs Fox holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Otago, as well as a Diploma of Graduates in Information Systems. She also has a Master of Business Administration (Executive) from the Australian Graduate School of Management and she is a Chartered Accountant (New Zealand).

Sally Manion
Head of Best Advice and Group Adviser Offer

Mrs Manion joined Snowball, now SFG Australia Limited, in 2010 to lead the Outlook and Western Pacific advice businesses. With the merger of Snowball (now SFG Australia Limited) and Shadforth, Mrs Manion’s role is Head of Best Advice and Group Adviser Offer, which spans the Affiliate adviser model and the B2B Services model, and is aimed at growing the Group's licensing and adviser services offer to self employed advisers, advice practices and dealer groups.

Mrs Manion is a Chartered Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mrs Manion was a Director and National Head of ipac financial planning from 2001 – 2010, and General Manager of Financial Planning at State Super Financial Services Limited from 1995-2001. Prior to that, Mrs Manion was a Partner in her own financial planning business, Bundey & Associates, where she was awarded Money Management's Financial Planner of the Year in 1988.

Mrs Manion has been a Director of Wenona School and the Law Foundation of NSW, and is a Director of a range of Not For Profit Foundations including Neura Foundation (formerly Prince of Wales Medical Research institute) and StreetWork.

David Pitcher
Head of finHQ

Mr Pitcher joined SFG Australia Limited in 2012 as Head of finHQ. finHQ is an important initiative to develop a client facing interface which combines information from the Group’s various portfolio management and administration solutions providers.

Mr Pitcher’s career spans 30 years working for global financial services corporations focusing on investments, change management and technology, and included roles with banking, financial advice and investment management organisations. Most recently, David was Head of Business Solutions in the Investments Division of QBE, and prior to that he held roles with CBA, St George Bank and American Express in New York.

Carl Scarcella
Head of Services and Products

Mr Scarcella commenced employment with Snowball, now SFG Australia Limited, in 2000 and held the position of Chief Operating Officer and Company Secretary prior to the merger with Shadforth. Post the merger, Mr Scarcella is now the Head of Services and Products.

Mr Scarcella commenced his career in accounting and is a Fellow of CPA Australia. In 1987, he joined Advance Asset Management Limited (Advance) where he held senior finance and operations roles. Following the acquisition of Advance by St George Bank, Mr Scarcella was responsible for strategic planning as well as mergers and acquisitions for the funds management division, and in 1999 he was appointed a director of Advance, a position from which he resigned in 2000. During this time and subsequently, Mr Scarcella served on a number of industry sub-committees.