In that time Words Unlimited has grown with the industry it serves, now delivering a full range of professional copywriting services to financial planners, superannuation funds, fund managers, mortgage providers ... in fact any professional who helps people to create, manage and protect their wealth.

The Words Unlimited Team consists of highly qualified people with decades of experience in the Australian financial services industry.

I love my job.  As Client Services Director, I focus on our clients and making them happy. In a nutshell, I manage the 'engine room', and closely monitor every project to ensure that our clients are consistently happy with the service they receive.

I joined Words Unlimited in February 2002 following a varied and interesting career interstate. Backed by a Degree in Business Administration, I’ve worked predominantly within the financial services industry, gaining experience in both the corporate and small business sectors. My roles have ranged from Administration Manager to Business Analyst/Consultant, Managed Funds Development Coordinator and joint business owner of a boutique firm providing financial education to military bases in Darwin.

I am a perfectionist, so I have found my niche at Words Unlimited, providing exceptional service to our clients.  I have undertaken a professional proofreading and editing course, so I can support our financial writers and ensure all work is completed to the highest standard.

Happily married with an active toddler, our home life is a hive of activity. We love bike riding through the parks and taking our boat out to enjoy beautiful Moreton Bay.

I have always enjoyed the opportunity to indulge my passion for writing. My highly varied career has allowed me to apply my pen to scientific papers, technical manuals, financial plans and client communication, and more recently to ethical philosophy and creative writing.

I started out in medical science. Soon after completing a PhD in immunology I joined the Diagnostics Division of ICI Australia (now Orica), and developed a range of test kits and reagents for medical laboratory use. In the following years I took on roles in technical service and export sales.

Looking for a new challenge, I entered financial planning in 1998, and completed the Diploma of Financial Planning and Certified Financial Planner courses. With my analytical background, I revelled in the technical aspects of the role, and in addition to looking after clients, became a director and was responsible for research and portfolio construction for a busy financial planning practice.

In 2003, I decided to pursue other interests, including the completion of at least one of the many books I’d started writing. I still maintain strong links to the financial planning industry through Words Unlimited, and as a facilitator of investment planning and superannuation courses for Kaplan (formerly Tribeca).

“I’d like to pray for world peace, and for the effective use of visual aids in financial education”.

My draft acceptance speech for a certain beauty pageant is – I admit – unlikely ever to see the light of day (in that forum). But it nonetheless reveals the value that I place on the appropriate use of all available communication tools in written and oral education pieces.

Over the past 15 years I have worked and studied in various roles within the finance industry, each of which has called on my writing ability in a different context.

• At Colonial First State (and previously at ING Australia), I regularly authored technical articles and presentations to educate Financial Advisers on topical financial planning issues. I was also occasionally called upon to write client newsletter articles, interview scripts, and Statements of Advice for Advisers to present to their clients;
  
• At the Australian Taxation Office, my work included the preparation of briefs to our Legal Counsel to assist in Federal Court tax appeals, as well as the construction of a staff education program following the “Ralph Review” business tax reforms in 1999;
  
• At University whilst studying Law and Commerce, I have written papers for submission on topics ranging from estate planning to marketing to environmental law, and I prepared a thesis on death benefit decisions of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.

During that time I have witnessed some of (in my opinion) the better exponents of effective communication as well as some of the worst perpetrators, and I have learnt a great deal from both sides.

We live in a time where “mums and dads” are becoming increasingly thirsty for information about financial matters. I am inspired by the knowledge that an article or presentation that I have written can sometimes provide them with that new insight, that one trigger which – to put it simply – makes it all make sense!

I particularly enjoy the dynamics of superannuation and retirement planning – this was the main reason that I moved away from the “pure” tax environment of the ATO into the Financial Planning arena some years ago. The oft-changing rules and regulations mean that new opportunities and new dangers arise regularly, and it is extremely rewarding to be in a position to analyse and translate complex regulations to a client whose financial future depends on getting the right information and advice.

For most people, superannuation and retirement planning are very confusing issues. To help get the most out of them, they need clear, practical and accurate information.

To be able to communicate this information, it is essential to have a strong background in the following areas :

• Extensive first-hand experience in advising personal and / or corporate superannuation clients on the major issues of legislation, investments and taxation that affect them.

• Knowledge of the sources of relevant up-to-date information

• Intuitive skill as a wordsmith and proof reader

• Appropriate qualifications as evidence of commitment to learning about your chosen profession.

I have been fortunate to have had over 30 years experience with four leading international organisations specialising in employee benefit consulting. This included 11 years at William Mercer (the world’s largest in the industry) when I was consultant to many major corporations such as BHP, CSR, Nestle, David Jones and Kellogg.

One of my most satisfying achievements was to develop and produce a unique videotape/audiotape/print program on Retirement Planning for sale to corporations to educate their employees.

For eight of the last ten years, I worked as a senior financial planner with a national group looking after high net worth individuals. For the last two, I was engaged in writing and producing regular newsletters for the benefit of clients of their planners around Australia.

I have operated my own self-managed super fund since 1994, and witnessed a multitude of changes in this area since then.

In academic terms, I hold a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University and am a Certified Practising Accountant. I was a Certified Financial Planner, having qualified in 1998, however I relinquished this following my retirement from full-time employment.

My wife and I are keen sailors. We race every Friday night during daylight saving and in the last two years have competed in sailing rallies in Croatia and Sardinia/Corsica. I was skipper in both rallies.

• Senior economics writer, Financial Standard.
• Editor, Transport News.
• Group Editor, Resource Stocks, Australia's Mining Monthly, & Petroleum magazine.
• Editor, MIS Magazine.
• Editor, Investor Monthly Magazine.
• Chief reporter, Unlimited Magazine.
• Chief contributor, Headliner (Leading equities broadsheet).
• Chief reporter, Wichita Business Journal.
• Senior journalist, Management and The Director magazines.
• PR manager to Expo'88.
• Chief reporter, management and careers desk, NZ Herald.
• Chief reporter, management desk, Sunday Star Times.
• Chief reporter, Export News.