Ask an Adviser – What does an award nominated investment strategy look like?
November 15th 2024 | Categories: Uncategorized | Ask An Adviser |

Ask an Adviser
Q. Hi Chris. Can you please explain what your role as Head of Wealth Management involves?
The role is about working with our partners and planners to develop and deliver contemporary wealth solutions for our clients. Our wealth solutions are all designed to deliver on the promise of helping clients to live their best life.
At Invest Blue we have an investment philosophy that is at the core of the design, construction and management of our wealth solutions. We work closely in partnership with a number of amazing investment partners to help bring this to life.
Q. You have 25 years’ experience as a financial planner. You must have seen some significant changes in the industry over that time?
The industry has evolved dramatically into a profession and that’s a good thing.
If I go back 25 years, it was basically lots of single planners or very small businesses driven largely by sales of products paying commissions. The evolution to the profession that we are in today is one where we provide advice that helps our clients achieve their hopes and dreams. Our clients pay us fees for that advice and the product focus is gone.
Another big change is that single planner operations or small practices have become less prevalent and there’s a shift to financial planning businesses at scale.
At Invest Blue we have the scale and resources to invest in our people and our business to deliver better outcomes for our clients.
I think perhaps the biggest change that has occurred over the years though is in relation to the focus on clients. Back in the day the industry was a little more self-serving whereas now everything starts and ends with looking at the best outcome for the client.
Q. Invest Blue’s core investment solutions have been award-nominated.
Yes, our contemporary investment products have been award-nominated which is really exciting.
Our goal of ‘helping clients live their best possible lives’ is at the absolute core of everything we do. The products we build and use support the strategies and structures we put in place to deliver desired outcomes for our clients.

Q. The award nomination you refer to is being a finalist in the recent IMAP awards (Licensee Managed Account Category). It’s a tremendous honour as a medium-sized business comprised of predominantly regional hubs up against several large institutions.
We were the only advice practice nominated in that space and were up against specialist wealth firms so it’s fair to say we’re punching above our weight. More importantly though, it’s an endorsement of the approach we’re taking. It was especially pleasing to be nominated in more categories this year.
We’re incredibly proud to be able to deliver truly modern and investment solutions that businesses like Invest Blue couldn’t normally deliver. Our scale and commitment to delivering on our client promise enables us to invest in these capabilities.
Q. Tell me more about delivering on the client promise?
Everything we do in developing our investments is built on Invest Blue’s core beliefs on wealth management which is to understand what our clients best possible life looks like. In defining that and building investment products accordingly, we need to be very conscious of both risk and return. Understandably, clients are a lot more sensitive of loss than they are excited by gain, so we’ve got that consciously built into our wealth management philosophy and products.
Connection and transparency – the most important ongoing interactions are those directly between our planners and their clients. Supporting those however are the regular touch points and connection we can provide clients to their investment portfolios.
For our contemporary wealth solutions we build and send customised quarterly emails tailored to a client’s individual investments. The newsletters explain what’s happening in markets, refer to what’s been going on in the portfolios themselves, addresses returns and changes over the quarter and may also include special interest stories or industry updates.
Q. In your opinion, what sets Invest Blue apart from a client perspective?
We’re a business at scale with a strong geographical reach around the country and with a real aspiration to be Australia’s trusted home of great advice. To do that we’ve made some very big investments across the firm in our people, our systems, processes, solutions and products. The success of that investment and commitment is being reflected in the likes of our recent award nominations.
Q. You have a very busy role but still look after clients. What remains the most rewarding aspects of guiding your clients?
Genuinely, it is the ability to help people. It’s also the connections you make. My clients are typically people I’ve worked with for a long period of time and have strong relationships with. It’s more than a job – it’s personal.
All of our advisers are driven by the real desire to make a difference and to truly help our clients live their best life.
I hope to always keep a core of clients – no matter how many other hats I wear. It’s important to stay relevant, connected and aware of what our clients need and want.
Q. And looking ahead?
The business continues to invest in our capabilities and the solutions we deliver for our clients.
We aren’t resting on our laurels, we’re trying to do things better, trying to build out and increase the range of solutions that we offer our clients. There are some exciting irons in the fire but I’m going to keep them there for now…
Fair enough. We’ll stay tuned. Thanks so much for your time, Chris.
A bit about Chris
Chris is a happily married father of two and more recently, a grandfather. Away from work and family, he tries to keep his golf handicap at a respectable level and is an avid supporter of the Parramatta Eels (NFL) and Sydney Swans (AFL). He’s a sucker for a good bottle of red wine and has a long travel bucket list he and his wife are actively working their way through.
Chris Ogilvie
Financial Adviser
Connect with Chris on Linked In.
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