Let’s Save The World
People ask: why do you want to save the world? Like many others, I seek a defining reason to get out of bed in the morning. I want to save the world… and when enough individuals take action, the changes we need will follow.
I also like helping people. Additionally, I like listening to their goals and digging deeper into investment options, rather than skimming over the surface. The power of one can shift opinion, practice, and the norm, and if enough individuals do that… we can do anything
My Background
I was born and bred in Adelaide. I’ve worked in Melbourne and Sydney and I moved back to Adelaide for lifestyle and family. My interest in ethical investing really started when I joined Grameen Bank. Formed by a Bangladesh academic, Muhammad Yunus, he came up with the concept of micro finance, where people are provided with finance outside the banking system. It helped poorer people help themselves. This led to a group called Results, in the US and in Australia. Our task was to lobby politicians and create activism, so that Australia met our commitments to the UN sustainable development goals.
As an active member of Results, I built the website for them, wrote to MPs, visited politicians, and talked with them about our commitments, aid budget, etc. At the time I was working in marketing for an IT company in Sydney. However, I was always interested in financial planning, owning my own business and doing something that mattered.
Wanting to move beyond the corporate environment and offer clients more, I started Novo to deliver genuinely tailored wealth advisory services, with a focus on responsible investing. Cycling is another of my passions. One day I would love to get rid of my car totally, reduce my impact and consume less. People find that a little unusual for someone involved in the finance sector but I guess I’m a practical greenie. Hopefully I’ve passed on some of these life lessons to my children.
