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On Friday 20th October 2023, we were thrilled to host many of our longest-standing clients for GFM Wealth Advisory’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at Zinc at Federation Square. We had clients in attendance who have been with GFM for 20, 30, 40 and 50 years, and incredibly we had our very first client, Clive Brooks in attendance who has been with GFM for the entire 50 years! A wonderful night was had by all!
It is with great pride that GFM reaches a very significant milestone during this year – 50 years since the commencement of the business in July 1973.
Back in 1973, when Tony Gilham founded the business, the world of financial services and advice was incredibly simple, with the predominant focus being insurance and basic deposit products.
Fast forward to today, and GFM is a thriving multi-disciplinary firm with significant specialisation in portfolio construction, strategic advice and Self Managed Super Funds (SMSFs).
Below is a timeline of the significant milestones for GFM over the 50 years:
It is fair to say that there are not many Financial Advice businesses here in Australia that have made it to 50 years and are still going strong.
Reflecting on the reasons we have made it to 50 years:
It is astonishing how many of our clients have been with us for over 20 years. Several have been with us for the entire 50 years! Our clients are our business, and we are incredibly grateful for this loyalty.
The stability of the senior core staff at GFM is the envy of our peers. We have a loyal, hard-working, knowledgeable and caring team passionate about delivering a high-quality financial planning service.
When we hire at GFM, the first thing we make clear to the applicant is that if they don’t envisage being with us for ten years or greater, it will not work.
Our team “buys into” entering a long-term relationship with the business, its co-workers and most importantly, our clients.
When you deal with larger institutions, you are just a number.
At GFM, clients are our business, and we understand this. Every client is different, so we develop a detailed and thorough understanding of your situation before providing tailored advice.
Our financial advice is tailored to your unique needs, risk profile and investment preferences. This ensures our clients receive the best advice based on their goals, objectives and best interests.
We review client portfolios regularly in person, provide detailed review documents and quarterly reports, and produce informative newsletters and emails. We also run events to ensure our clients are up to date with their financial affairs and to spend quality time with them.
GFM remains differentiated from the majority of the financial services industry.
We have long perceived that seeking advice from groups with institutional ownership (particularly when those institutions also manufacture financial products) poses a substantial risk of conflicted advice.
We have no institutional or third-party owner in our business.
We have held our own Australian Financial Services Licensee (AFSL) since 2003. This means that, unlike many Financial Services firms which obtain a representative licence from a third-party licensee, our licence is issued to us directly by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). We are, therefore, not tied to a third-party, its influences or its products and can build the advice and strategies that are right for you.
But we never rest on our laurels.
While we have some big plans for the remainder of this year to celebrate our 50 years, we are committed to ensuring our standards don’t slip. We intend to be around for another 50 years. We hope we are dealing not only with the current but also the future generation of clients.
Thank you to all our team and clients for getting us this far!
It only feels like yesterday that a fresh-faced work experience kid attended the GFM offices for the first time in the July school holidays of 2000. That fresh-faced 16-year-old “kid” was Patrick Malcolm. After being asked to return more permanently in December 2001, Patrick has reached more than 20 years of employment at GFM.
I feel incredibly privileged to be part of GFM Wealth’s significant 50th-anniversary milestone.
I was fortunate to undertake my work experience at the firm in July 2000. Paul Nicol, our Managing Partner, was my under-16s cricket coach, for those who don’t know. Paul was only 23 at the time as well! He knew I was interested in finance and offered me the opportunity to undertake work experience with the company.
I undertook my work experience during the school holidays. I still remember the client files that I worked on. The going rate for work experience then was $5 per day. Tony Gilham, the firm’s founder, was generous enough to quadruple the rate and paid me $100 for the five days at the end of the week. I was glad to have received the bonus, but I was more appreciative of undertaking the work experience.
Tony and Paul then invited me back to work over the school holidays, of course, at a higher rate than the $5 per day. I finished my VCE in 2001, and I was fortunate to obtain a score that gave me the opportunity for tertiary study at the University of Melbourne. I had always intended to study Commerce and Information Systems (it was the early 2000’s, so Information Technology was popular). However, my TER allowed me to change my preferences to undertake Commerce and Law, which was probably considered the most prestigious combination with Commerce. I stuck to what I had committed to, and thankfully so. The law subjects I had to undertake as part of my Commerce degree were my worst subjects at University. Goodness knows how I would’ve managed with three years of law subjects.
After undertaking one Information Systems subject, I also decided that wasn’t for me either. I was keen to spend the five years at University, so I decided to stick to a straight Commerce degree and undertake a Masters of Applied Finance at Melbourne once I had finished, which I did.
While at University, Tony and Paul allowed me to work part-time at the firm. Commerce was a huge course at Melbourne (1,600 students). The course size gave me the flexibility to cram my subjects into a full day and a couple of afternoons so that I could work. Some lecturers still used overhead projectors; my year was the first time you enrolled in tutorials online! It is hard to believe today, but one lecturer had to run the same session four times a day, twice a week.
Paul and Tony gave me an amazing degree of flexibility with leave for study and exams, which I still appreciate very much today.
In 2003, I flipped things around, working full-time and studying part-time. While I enjoyed studying, I was enjoying work more. I started what is known as our paraplanning department, which began with a single employee, me. The department is responsible for the preparation of Statements of Advice for clients. As the team grew with the firm, I was also responsible for managing workflow and the ongoing training and development of the team.
I was very fortunate to spend a lot of time one-on-one with Tony in these years. Tony could see that I was keen to learn, and he was just as eager to teach me.
In 2012, Paul and Tony offered me the opportunity to become a shareholder and partner of the firm. This is by far my most satisfying professional achievement. This was before I had committed to becoming a financial planner, so the leap of faith on their part was significant.
In late 2012, Paul coerced me into starting my journey as a financial planner. I was not convinced, but he probably saw something in me that I did not see in myself then. I always imagined my role in the business as being behind the scenes. I am eternally grateful that Paul pushed (shoved?) me along that path, as there has not been one day since I have regretted that decision.
A lot has happened in my personal life in my time at GFM. My wife, Liesl, has been with me for most of that time. She has been an incredible support for me. Full-time work and part-time study were a big commitment, ultimately at the compromise of our relationship. However, she always supported me in full along the journey. I have completed several additional courses besides my studies at the University of Melbourne. She thinks I’m insane and a bit weird, given my desire to continue studying.
Over my time at GFM, Liesl and I have purchased our first home together, got engaged and married, travelled through Europe four times (her favourite country is France, mine is Spain), started a family, sold our first home to buy a family home and completed a renovation together.
She is an incredible wife and amazing mother to our two children, no more so than during the tricky COVID environment in 2020 and 2021.
Jakob was born in 2014, and Zoe in 2016. There is nothing I enjoy more than spending time together as a family. We spend our time going to the footy (Jakob, Zoe and I are longsuffering Carlton fans), soccer, basketball and cricket. I look forward to our European family holiday in April this year.
Away from family time, I am most passionate about the game of golf. I’m a member of the Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club. There, I have been on the Board for seven years. I had a three-year stint as the Treasurer and have been Vice President for around 18 months.
I love the industry and my job, but most of all, I love the firm. I hope my enthusiasm comes through in my dealings with my clients, as there is nothing else I would rather do daily. I am passionate about quality financial planning advice. I am pleased with the significant raising of the bar concerning educational and professional standards of the industry, as it had been set way too low for too long.
I am very proud of our firm and that we can freely act in the best interests of our clients, conducting these relationships without being told what to do by another institution. Our clients know we are not tied to influences, products, or third parties. We can build the advice and strategies that are right for our clients in a practical, timely, personal, and proactive manner.
It goes without saying that I also feel incredibly fortunate to work with such wonderful people at GFM. We have a loyal, hard-working, knowledgeable and caring team that I am honoured to work with daily.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all my time with the firm and look forward to many more years ahead!
The term privileged is often thrown around. However, with James’s impact on our business and the lives of the clients he diligently looks after, we are truly privileged to have him as a member of the GFM team.
James is an outstanding Financial Adviser, one of the very best in the industry, due to his all-around skills and ability to convey to his clients what they need to do.
Anyone who knows James would know you will not meet a more selfless person. James always puts the organisational needs of our business and his clients before himself and does it without hesitation. These qualities are easily identified when dealing with James, making him a very popular member of the GFM team and incredibly well-liked by the clients he advises.
Clients dealing with James will attest that he is reliable, a voice of reason, assured and always very well thought out with his advice. Clients trust what he is saying because of his steady hand and authenticity.
James overlays his wonderful personality traits with an exceptional level of technical skill. You will not find a Financial Adviser with a more rounded technical knowledge. James complements this knowledge with a deep understanding of investment markets and economic trends.
GFM is blessed to have a staff member of the quality and calibre of James.
Sometimes in life, you get a lucky break, a really lucky break. My fortune started almost 22 years ago when I landed a job at GFM Wealth, and my journey in the finance industry began. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that the founder of the business, Tony Gilham, gave me at the time.
My interest in finance goes back many years. I’ve always been a keen investor and diligently invested my savings since my early high school days. After deciding to study economics and finance at Monash University, working in finance was something I wanted to make a career in, and I was very keen to get into immediately. However, the start of that career was unfortunately delayed. I graduated from university right in the middle of the last major recession in the early to mid-1990s when graduate employment positions in the finance industry were almost nonexistent.
After several rejections, I decided to put my finance career on hold. I continued working in the hospitality industry, which supported me while studying at university. I worked casually and then full-time for several years at venues such as Leonda by the Yarra, Caulfield Racecourse and the Victorian Arts Centre (where I met my wife, Claudia). I eventually decided to leave the industry and went travelling overseas.
On my arrival back home, I updated my technology skills, expanded my finance knowledge, and then, to my great fortune, managed to secure a job at GFM Wealth as the Financial Controller. After a couple of years of performing this role, I was moved into a more front-line position within the organisation by taking a paraplanning role in the newly established Para-Planning/Technical Services division. After being a paraplanner for a few years, I became a financial planner, a role I have been performing since mid-2005 and found extremely rewarding and professionally fulfilling.
It’s been a wonderful journey over the years. I’ve been lucky to work with a great team of extremely talented, professional colleagues who genuinely care about our clients. We work hard but enjoy each other’s company, and their support has allowed me to develop into a better financial planner. As the business has grown, I’ve seen many new staff members arrive, with over half having been with GFM for ten years or more. It says so much about the company that many staff have been here for so long.
Much has changed in our business over the last 22 years I’ve been here. As a self-licensed financial planning business, GFM has continued to evolve the services it provides its clients and has now developed a real speciality in managing Self-Managed Superannuation Funds and Private Investment Portfolios. The company added GFM Gruchy Accounting some years ago and is now a full end-to-end financial services business.
The financial planning industry is also very different from when I first started. A constantly changing regulatory environment, particularly over the past decade, has forced much-needed change. From the Future of Financial Advice (FOFA) legislation in 2013 to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services in 2018, the industry has been forced to adapt and evolve in a very limited timeframe. There have been many challenges, but I feel that the industry is now on the right path to being recognised as a real profession, with the introduction of mandatory education standards, ongoing professional development and legislated ethical and duty of care requirements. The bad old days of the sales culture and the banks’ dominance in the wealth management sector are well and truly over and replaced by mid-sized independently owned firms like GFM Wealth, which continue to grow and diversify their business models.
Without a doubt, the person who has been the biggest support through my busy professional career has been my wife, Claudia. When I started with GFM, we married only a few years earlier. We had just welcomed the arrival of a baby girl, Isabella. A few years later, we were blessed with another daughter, Anastasia, and it has been a very busy time as a family over the last 20-plus years. Claudia has been an incredible wife, selfless partner, and a wonderful mother to our daughters.
We are extremely proud of our girls, who are now young adults. Isabella is doing a wonderful job in her career as a vet nurse. Anastasia is currently studying at Melbourne University to become a psychologist. Neither follows in their father’s footsteps, although Isabella is more savvy with her money than her younger sister.
As Paul mentioned in his profile in the last edition of Trade Secrets, the best part of our job as financial planners is dealing with our clients. I am very fortunate to have such a wonderful and interesting group of clients, many with whom I know I will have long-term friendships.
It is a satisfying job, particularly when your clients tell you how you’ve made a difference in their lives and removed all their financial stresses and frustrations. Positive client feedback is rewarding and makes a difference in your day, particularly in the challenging and stressful times we are currently going through. Being there to provide ongoing support to our clients is a privilege that I and the team at GFM take very seriously.
Finally, I feel incredibly privileged that I’ve contributed in some small way to the success that GFM Wealth has enjoyed over the last 50 years. I’m excited to be part of this very significant milestone. I know that the company is in good hands and that the future is bright. I very much look forward to contributing to the business’s ongoing success.
Those who know Paul well know he is extremely humble and modest, so it was with great difficulty that we got him to write this!
We may seem slightly biased, but Paul is held in extremely high esteem within the industry. We are fortunate to see the level of respect people in the industry afford Paul. His opinion is sought and valued by other advisers, often by peers much older than him. He is innovative but practical, with a no-nonsense approach to the issues at hand.
It is no surprise that Paul has made the list of Australia’s top 100 advisers for six years in a row.
Paul has also actively mentored many staff in his time with the firm, including all of our advisers and associate advisers. Many of us in the firm unashamedly see him as a role model, and it is an absolute pleasure to work with him daily (most of the time)!
Read about his journey at GFM:
In 1998, I was incredibly fortunate to be introduced to Tony Gilham via his daughter Danielle. Being in the second last year of my university degree at age 22, I was still unsure what I wanted to do as a career. However, I was drawn to a career that involved providing investment advice and flirting with the concept of getting involved in property or stockbroking.
Through a hard work ethic instilled by my parents, Garry and Josie, I was employed part-time from year nine and through my university studies. I had saved a reasonable sum of money and was keen to invest rather than leave my savings in the bank.
At this point, via the introduction from Danielle, I met with Tony to seek advice on how to invest my savings. Tony provided a recommendation to invest in 4 managed funds, which I followed, and from there, I started to take a keen interest in investment markets and how my investments were performing. Then the light bulb moment came – through my dealings with Tony and based on my natural curiosity about investing – I wanted to be a Financial Adviser.
In 1999, roughly a year after investing my growing savings, I plucked up the courage to contact Tony to see if he had any work available. I was reasonably sure that I was the youngest client of GFM, and Tony was impressed that I had been disciplined with my money. After a nervous phone call (no email then!) and a couple of interviews, I was offered a job at GFM as a Financial Adviser.
Back in 1999, the Financial Planning industry was only in its infancy. When Tony offered me the role of immediately becoming a Financial Adviser, I was somewhat shocked as I anticipated being offered an administration role and that I would (hopefully) progress to becoming a Financial Adviser. However, I was given a robust apprenticeship, initially sitting in almost all of Tony’s meetings. However, coming from a life agency background, GFM had a very long list of clients, and it wasn’t long until Tony set me loose to see clients who hadn’t been serviced for many years.
Looking back, I was too naive to question why clients would trust a “wet behind the ears” 23–year–old Adviser. Reflecting, I guess clients could see I was eager, enthusiastic, and hard-working. I fondly recall the first couple of clients that were willing to proceed with coming on board at GFM – Barry and Barbara Duncan & John and Monty Gill. They gave me great confidence that I could make it as a Financial Adviser, and after nearly 25 years, both couples are still clients.
I must say I fell on my feet with the opportunity at GFM. When I started in 1999, we had six staff, including Mai and Witi, and in many ways, we were a much smaller and simpler business than today. We even had a general insurance arm. But, right from the start, I could see an incredible work ethic within the organisation, but most importantly, a client–first approach. Back in 1999, it is fair to say that most Financial Advisers were driven by large upfront sales commissions and had no desire to service their clients on an ongoing basis. It was clear that GFM was a relationship–based business keen to engage clients driven to ensure their long–term financial goals were achieved rather than the allure of a big upfront commission.
After approximately ten years at GFM, I was lucky enough in 2009 to be offered an equity stake in the business. I had graduated as a Senior Financial Adviser, and it seemed apparent that I was the obvious succession plan in the business. Over the following five years, I continued to purchase more equity in GFM. At that point, as the majority shareholder in GFM, I took over the responsibility of running the business, which I have done now for around ten years.
The evolution of GFM over the last 25 years has been nothing short of amazing. Over this journey, GFM became self–licenced, transitioned to a business model in Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF) specialisation, added Accounting via the acquisition of GFM Gruchy and Goldman’s Accounting, and is now a multi-partner business with Patrick, a considerable shareholder.
A lot has happened in my personal life while I have been at GFM. My wife, Lisa, has been with me for all that time. She is an incredible wife, an amazing mother to our two children, Olive and Flynn. She has supported me fully along the journey. Over my time at GFM, Lisa & I have purchased our first home together, got engaged and married, travelled and started a family.
Without a doubt, my favourite part of the job is dealing with clients. While I try to maintain a very level emotional state while dealing with clients, internally, I ride the highs and lows of the client journey almost more than the clients! However, as a team, we get unbelievable satisfaction when seeing clients achieve their financial goals and knowing the comfort this brings to their lifestyle and family planning.
The typical feedback for industry participants attending GFM events is, “You have amazing clients!” This couldn’t be truer. We are incredibly grateful for the trust our clients place in us, and the gratification we feel for the positive feedback we get from clients or a referral is genuinely appreciated.
I also feel incredibly fortunate to work with such a talented team at GFM. Beyond the obvious talent, our team comprises the highest quality people with incredibly strong principles and genuine care in what they do. I am sure our clients can see and feel our team’s natural respect and care for each other and our clients.
I couldn’t be more excited by the future of GFM after reaching the very significant milestone of 50 years. We continue to grow and evolve without compromising our service standards. We are committed to adding high–quality talent to the team and ensuring we work closely with clients to achieve their financial goals.
I’m also excited about my future at GFM. I am the youngest 25–year “veteran” in the industry. I hope clients still see the eager, enthusiastic and hard-working person from 25 years ago when I was lucky to be given a break working for such a fabulous company. A time will come when I need to pass on the baton, but by now, most would be able to guess my age and know I am far too young to retire!
Reflecting on GFM’s 50th anniversary this year, we continue to profile our longest-standing employees.
Witi Suma started employment at GFM in August 1996, nearly 27 years ago! It is not easy to put into words the impact someone has had within an organisation, but it is fair to say Witi has been monumental to the success of GFM.
Witi is always determined to ensure the best ongoing service to all clients. Witi’s warm and caring personality shines through in all her dealings; our clients and team love her. Nothing is too hard for Witi; she is always there to listen and help.
We are incredibly lucky to have Witi as a part of the team.
Read about her journey at GFM:
It was mid–1996 when I completed my Applied Economics/Arts double degree, a course with subjects as diverse as accounting, law, international marketing, and even linguistics. It was so broad, and I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do after graduating. On the Uni’s recommendation, I went to Skillshare, a government-funded training and job placement organisation. It was a chance encounter there that I met Trish Cresp, a long–time client of GFM’s founder, Tony Gilham. Upon her urging, he interviewed me, and lo and behold, I was hired!
I had never worked in an office before, so I was excited and keen to learn. I started as the typist and administration assistant, answering phones and handling the mail daily. With my administrative skills and thirst for knowledge, I soon began to make such an impression that I was tasked with preparing summaries of clients’ investments and policies for adviser meetings. I enjoyed doing this, as it taught me much about how Superannuation and insurance worked.
Up to that point, our range of products and services was relatively small – we had a general insurance division, and a “life” division that mainly offered personal and corporate superannuation plans, investment bonds, and insurance policies such as “whole of life”. It wasn’t until the mid–90s that self–managed superannuation funds entered our radar. We became aware that this was a burgeoning area in super and wanted to be a part of it. In 1996 we set up our first SMSF.
The task of administering funds was, and still very much is, a role that requires specialised knowledge. By 1999, Tony felt I was up to learning the ropes, so I became an SMSF Administrator. I quickly learned a lot, becoming proficient in setting up funds and managing ongoing regulatory requirements. Around the same time, we started to set up private investment portfolios for clients. I also became responsible for this part of the business, preparing the initial paperwork and executing the investment purchases and sales that the advisers would recommend for the clients.
Back in the early days, things were done so manually. Over the years, I observed how technology changed and improved our operations. An example is the production of the quarterly reports we send – in the beginning, each report was compiled, checked, and sent manually. Fast–forward to today, hundreds of reports are generated and emailed seamlessly each quarter. GFM is also the mailing house for our SMSF and investment portfolio clients, so we receive large volumes of mail every day. The use of technology allows us to automate the scanning and filing of these documents to client files. A gradual move to cloud-based applications has also enabled our teams to collaborate effortlessly with each other and our clients.
Over the past 26 years, my mind boggles at the ever-changing superannuation landscape. As SMSF specialists, we need to continually navigate the changes, adapt to them and understand them fully to continue to provide expert guidance and advice. There’s never a dull moment in this industry!
The GFM team has grown since 1996. When I started, we had less than ten staff across the general insurance and “life” teams; we now have 26 across the GFM group. On this note, the merger of GFM Wealth Advisory and Gruchy Accounting in 2015 for me solidified our reputation and presence in the industry, bringing with it decades of combined experience. Clients love that their financial adviser and accountant are in one place.
During my time at GFM, I’m most proud of developing a seamless onboarding process for new clients from start to finish. Aside from the advisers, I’m the first contact point for GFM Wealth Advisory clients. I conduct the implementation meetings with our new SMSF and private investment portfolio clients, explaining the documentation as well as our service offering and what they can expect. Whether they are brand new to investing or if they have an existing SMSF and have chosen to move to GFM, every client is unique and important to me. I see myself as an ambassador for the company from the first meeting to each subsequent point of contact. I can’t help but smile when I pick up the phone, as I genuinely love chatting with clients and helping them with their queries – and no question is ever silly!
We have an extremely hardworking and dedicated team – Annie, Jacqui, Donna, and Nadine. Everyone has the philosophy of “client–first” top of mind. Everyone is so good at what they do – it’s great that clients can rely on them for paperwork and not have to worry about admin, which is what we’re here to do.
I genuinely believe that the “client–first” culture at GFM has led to our Barron’s “Top 50 (and now top 100) Financial Advisers in Australia” designation for the sixth year running. Our client referrals keep growing because of existing clients’ trust and faith in us.
Outside of work, I like to partake in fun hobbies such as weekly dance/fitness classes, singing in various community choirs, photography, and driving my treasured ‘65 Mustang on beautiful days. My partner Rob and I love wildlife. We enjoy camping and staying in remote spots like the Flinders Ranges and Kangaroo Island. I have recently resumed volunteering with OzHarvest as a van assistant, a fantastic way to help the needy firsthand.
One of the main reasons I’ve been with the firm for so long is that the company encourages staff to learn and develop their skills and grow within the organisation. We’re also very much like a family; I think clients see that in us. I love working at GFM and look forward to many more years here!
On Thursday 9th March 2023, we were thrilled to host a large number of our clients at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) for a private viewing of the Salon, and cocktail party in the Garden Restaurant. This event was the start of GFM’s 50th-anniversary celebrations. We have several events planned for the year to thank our clients for their loyalty and support. A great night was had by all!
GFM is blessed to have incredibly loyal clients and equally loyal staff. Reflecting on GFM’s 50th anniversary this year, our longest-standing employee is Mai Davies, who started with us in 1984 (YES – 1984!). Mai has been an incredible contributor to the success of GFM and is universally loved by all the team and GFM clients. Read about her journey here at GFM:
I cannot believe it’s been 39 years since I started my first job at GFM. It feels like it was only yesterday.
As part of the Year 12 Business Studies course I completed at Star of the Sea College in 1984, I was required to complete two weeks of work experience. I was assigned to AG Gilham and Associates, located on Queens Road, Melbourne. This was a general insurance broking and life insurance business with a small team of three: Tony Gilham (the firm’s founder) and two staff members, Linda and Noeline.
This was my first experience working in the ‘real world’. My day involved answering the phone, typing invoices, letters and memos (on a typewriter), filing, preparing the cheques for banking, writing up the mail, folding newsletters and making coffee. Everything was done manually!
There was always a mountain of work, and I managed to get through it, then asked if there was anything else I could help with. Tony was impressed with my enthusiasm, speed and accuracy of my work, and I fitted in well. I was invited back to work during the school holidays. I was offered a full-time job as a Junior Secretary starting in November 1984.
I was excited and appreciative of being given this fantastic full-time job opportunity and not having to attend job interviews! I planned to stay on for a year or two, gain some work experience and then move on.
I resigned in 1988 when my daughter Mel was born, and in 1989 my son Matt was born, only 14 months apart. I certainly had my hands full. Tony and I kept in touch, and in 1992, he called to ask if I was interested in returning to work on a casual basis, any hours I wanted. I was very keen to work, but it was daunting as this was the first time I had worked in an office in 4 years. We were still using typewriters when I left, and we had now entered the computer age, and it was all new to me.
I returned to work one day a week. This soon increased to two days a week when I began arranging client meetings. I love speaking to people, so this was a perfect job for me. Having a young family, I was very grateful for the flexibility to work around the kids. When the kids started school, my hours increased with the role’s responsibilities, and I eventually returned to full-time employment.
It was wonderful as there was always something new to learn, building on my skills which enabled me to work in many areas.
In my Marketing and Client Services role, I have been very fortunate to meet and know most of our wonderful and loyal clients. Many clients have been with GFM for 10, 20, 30 and 40-plus years, which is remarkable.
Another aspect of the role I love is organising and attending client seminars, movie nights, golf days and client dinners. The first seminar we hosted was about 30 years ago, and we now host several in-person seminars a year. I get a lot of joy and satisfaction from knowing how much our clients enjoy these events.
Jade Ng, our Client Services Assistant, who works closely with me, assists with client events and administration and works at reception. Like me, she enjoys interactions with clients.
I feel blessed to work with a fantastic team of people who are loyal, caring, thoughtful and supportive of each other. Twelve of us have been with GFM for ten years or more. It says so much about the company that many of us have been here for so long. We all work well together, making it a pleasure to come to work each day.
Outside work, I enjoy travelling, hiking, nature walks, movies, dining out, and spending time with family and friends. Pilates and Yoga are a must for me. Most of all, I love spending time with my beautiful granddaughter, Gracie, who is almost three years old; she is such a joy and always makes me laugh. She lives in Lennox Heads, NSW, so we visit each other a few times a year.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working at GFM and I am looking forward to celebrating our 50 years anniversary. Fifty years is an incredible milestone, and I am excited about the year ahead.