About

About

Sovereign Financial is a highly regarded financial advisory, accountancy and lending firm that operates across Australia.

Who we are.

We deliver innovative and tailored advice. We have a proud heritage as a family business built on the values of Trust, Insight, Expertise and Relationships.

To many of our clients we are more trusted friends than advisers. We offer truly valuable advice rather than just a range of products. Our integrated approach to wealth management spans investment, taxation, superannuation, accountancy, lending services and estate planning.

Our values are our guiding principles, built around what we believe and driving how we act. They reflect our continuing aspiration to be a true ‘TIER 1’ investment firm – based on the values of Trust, Insight, Expertise and Relationships.

The Sovereign Way

We put our clients at the centre of everything we do – we call it the Sovereign Way. This drives everything we do.

It means that our clients always comes first. We focus our expertise and efforts on building them a better, more secure future.
It also means we are dedicated to delivering and demonstrating real care to our clients, developing relationships over many years, and generations,
of deep trust, and even friendship.

Trust

Trust lies at the very foundation of our business. Our clients place their trust in us with their hard earned investments to deliver them a better financial future. We work hard to earn that trust and prize it as our greatest business asset.

Insight

Industry and product knowledge, though important, is not enough. We apply experience to this knowledge, mix it with judgement and then deliver true insight – the basis for truly valuable financial advice.

Expertise

All our advice is based on expert knowledge. We know investments, the risks and the opportunities. And we understand how they best integrate with Taxation strategies, Superannuation and Estate planning.

Relationships

We are more than just advisers. We work very closely with our clients over the long-term, fostering genuine relationships of trust, respect, friendship and mutual reward.

The Sovereign Team

Not only do we develop close relationships with our clients but also within our staff team. We highly value the connections we build together over many years of achievement, hard work, team success and fun.

Everyone on our team is qualified and highly respected in their field of expertise. But more than that we celebrate and value their personal contributions, their genuine dedication to the cause of the client and their passion to enjoy life.

Wealth

Leigh
Marriott

Managing Director – Sovereign Financial Group

CA, B.Comm 

Leigh is a founding partner and Co-Managing Director of Sovereign. He specialises in Self Managed Super Funds, Strategic tax planning and Estate planning. More than 20 years of experience has taught him the value of listening closely to the needs of his clients and then passionately delivering on those needs with genuine care.

Jerome
Smith

Managing Director - Sovereign Financial Group

CFP® B.A. 

Jerome has extensive experience in the financial planning industry and is a founding partner and Co-Managing Director of Sovereign. He has a Bachelor of Arts, and holds the Certified Financial Planner certification.  His expertise lies in investment and portfolio management, retirement preparation and planning strategies, estate planning and superannuation.    

Andrew
Lawler

Director – Sovereign Financial Group
Head of Investments

CFP® B.Bus (FP)

Andrew has provided personalised and holistic advice to clients for the last 2 decades. Andrew is relationship driven and a firm believer in having a combination of honesty, loyalty and technical knowledge at the foundation of every client relationship. His expertise lies in superannuation, investment and portfolio management, wealth accumulation and retirement planning, as well as estate planning and asset protection. Andrew is the Head of Sovereign’s Investment Committee, a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA), holds a Bachelor of Business, and holds the Certified Financial Planner certification.

Sarah
Connolly

Director - Sovereign Financial Group
Head of Wealth

CFP® MFP B.ApSc

Sarah has been working in the financial planning industry since 2002. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Medical Science, a Masters in Financial Planning, and holds the Certified Financial Planner certification. She has built strong relationships with her clients based on mutual trust, empathy and respect.  Sarah is the Head of Sovereign Wealth, as well as a member of Sovereign’s Investment Committee.  She is a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA). Her expertise lies in Self-Managed Super Funds, investment and portfolio management, wealth accumulation and retirement planning, as well as state planning and asset protection.

ANITA RODD

Senior Adviser and Technical Specialist

CFP® B.Comm (Acc & FP) 

[email protected]

Nathan Wright

Senior Adviser

CFP® B.Bus (FP)

Nathan is one of Sovereign’s Senior advisers based in our Ballarat office, and a member of Sovereign’s Investment Committee.  He has a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Accounting, and holds the Certified Financial Planner certification.  Nathan loves the strategy of advice, particularly in exploring and forging new ways of thinking throughout the business such as in the investment and SMSF space.  This passion and energy for his work is more than matched by his dedication to his young family.  Nathan is also a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA).

 

[email protected]

Chris DiMattina

Senior Adviser

Adv Dip FS B Eng (Civil)

Chris has been working in the financial planning industry since 2008 and has focussed his career on building strong, trusted relationships with private wealth clients.  He is always working to exceed client expectations to ensure our clients can achieve their goals.  Chris is a senior adviser and member of Sovereign’s Investment Committee.  Chris is also a member of the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA).

 

 

 

[email protected]

SCOTT PLUNKETT

Representative

Grad Dip FP

Lachlan Hine

Representative

BBus (Acc & FinPlan)

BEN
HUTT

Representative

B.Comm

Emma Lawler

Head of Operations

NIKITA VICKERS

Operations Support

Jacinta Morison

Senior Client Service Manager

Lorraine Hart

Client Service Manager

Katie buckley

Client Service Manager

TRISH HIBBERD

Client Service Manager

Taxation

Leigh Marriott

Managing Director – Sovereign Taxation

CA, B.Comm

Leigh is a founding partner and Co-Managing Director of Sovereign. He specialises in Self Managed Super Funds, Strategic tax planning and Estate planning. More than 20 years of experience has taught him the value of listening closely to the needs of his clients and then passionately delivering on those needs with genuine care.

 

Kay Gulenc

Director – Sovereign Taxation

CA, B.Bus (Acc)

Kay has over 25 years’ experience as a Chartered Accountant and registered Tax Agent. Kay delivers accounting and taxation services to private family groups and enterprises as well as high net worth individuals. Kay provides her clients with compliance advice as well as extensive guidance on critical aspects of their business operations

joel
radlof

Accountant

B.Comm (Acc)

BRETT TREVENEN

Accountant

B.Comm (Acc)

KARENE TARDREW

Accountant

(DipBusAcc)

VICtoria
CUSSIGH

Accountant

B.Comm (Acc)

GARRY
SLUCE

Accountant

B.Comm (Acc)

jodie-lee ferguson

Taxation Support

Lending

Liam Caldwell

Director - Sovereign Lending

Dip. Finance and Broking

Liam’s widespread experience working within a major bank across Regional & Metropolitan Victoria has given him the ability to understand what lenders require. Liam has a wealth of knowledge in residential mortgages, commercial lending. He has a specialist experience in property lending, large scale residential land sub-divisions, commercial and specialized property investments.

Austin Murphy

Lending Consultant

OLIVIA GEPP

Lending Consultant

Risk

Scott Plunkett

Risk Specialist

Grad Dip FP

[email protected]

Superannuation Compliance

Joe Di Stefano

Accountant

B.Bus (Ins)

[email protected]

Tony Kermond

Accountant

B.Comm (Acc)

[email protected]

Alexandra Brown

SMSF Administration Support