Our People

Keri joined us in 2014 with more than two decades of experience in administration, advertising, marketing and event management. Her career continues to be defined by her excellent work ethic and meticulous attention to detail, stemming from the dedication that led to her success as an elite sportsperson.

In her time as a valued member of our team, Keri has built strong rapport with our staff and clients. Along with her boundless energy, she is very thoughtful and highly organised, juggling with ease the many corporate functions we hold each year while ensuring they are professional and polished events presented to the highest standard.

Robin joined Escala in June of 2021 to support both our Sydney and Perth teams, assisting with the day-to-day operation of portfolios. At that time, he was in the twilight of his tertiary studies, and has since graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce and Advanced Studies degree, majoring in accounting and finance.

Prior to joining our team, Robin gained a broad understanding of business cost structures and profitability while working at a tax advisory practice to complement his studies. His growing interest in business fundamentals naturally formed a deeper desire to better understand investment markets, which is what drew him to the wealth management industry and ultimately Escala.

After obtaining a first-class master’s degree in Finance and Investment, British-born Matt began his financial services career at one of the UK’s oldest independent wealth management firms.

While there, he qualified as a Chartered Wealth Manager with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and gained direct experience overseeing the day-to-day management of investment portfolios for private clients. He also passed Level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst qualification in December 2019.

In 2021, Matt took a career break when global disruption propelled him to act on long-held travel ambitions, bringing him to Australia and Escala.

Holly began her career in the legal industry after graduating from Monash University with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2019. Admitted as an Australian lawyer in 2020, she joined a top tier-law firm in Melbourne, where her work in the area of commercial disputes included involvement in a number of high-profile matters for ASX-listed corporations.

A change in career direction brought Holly to Escala as an Associate in late 2021. As well as her law degree, she holds a Graduate Certificate in Finance and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning at Griffith University.

Ed has been working in investment markets since 1999, beginning his investment career as a small and microcap equity analyst on the institutional investment side. He then moved into fund research, primarily from a quantitative perspective, covering all asset classes and providing him with unique input into the fund research process.

After completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Sydney and a postgraduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from FINSIA, Ed moved to the United Kingdom. There he took up an opportunity to work in London with Jewson Associates, an investment consulting firm that specialises in providing investment advice to family offices, charities and endowments, including some of the largest universities and charitable organisations in the UK.

Ed was involved in each stage of the investment process, from tailoring strategic asset allocation advice to global fund research, portfolio management and client relationships. He helped the firm develop a reputation for quality advice and investment management.

Upon returning to Sydney after six years in London, Ed joined Family Office Research and Management (FORM), a firm with a client base and similar values to those at Jewson Associates. There he continued in both a research and client relationship role, providing investment advice in a collaborative team environment, before joining Escala as an investment advisor in December 2016 following the merger with FORM.

Bringing to Escala a great deal of experience and particular expertise, Ed says, “Throughout my career I have been fortunate to have worked alongside successful investors and people of high integrity and moral standards, which has engrained in me an ethos that good quality research provides a sound basis for investment planning, and clients always come first.”

David is a key member of our CIO team, with primary responsibility for covering the Australian equities asset class, including manager selection. He is also an active member of our Approved Product List Committee and Investment Committee, assisting our advisors with tactical asset allocation and portfolio construction for clients.

Prior to joining Escala, David had forged a strong career in the financial services industry. After graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce degree with honours, he joined the asset management team at Equity Trustees. While there he gained a solid foundation in fundamental research in Australian equities, and with his team built a successful track record of outperformance for the EQT Flagship Fund.

During his time with Equity Trustees, David also developed well-rounded asset allocation skills, which were used to help develop the portfolios of the company’s investor base of high-net-worth individuals, family offices and charitable organisations. He further broadened his knowledge base by gaining the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

A founding partner of Escala, Scott has consistently been acknowledged as one of nation’s most respected financial advisors. He has always rated highly in the Barron’s survey of Australia’s top financial advisors, ranking in the top ten since the survey was inaugurated in 2017, including first that year and second in 2021.

Scott attributes his recognition in the surveys to our collegiate approach. His personalised client strategies are supported by the knowledge and skills of the entire advisory team and the robust investment process developed by our Chief Investment Office.

Scott’s strategies are based on his own ‘client value proposition’, the foundation of which is a comprehensive initial discovery process. This means not only identifying the entirety of the assets and structures of his clients, but importantly understanding their individual circumstances and aspirations.

That discovery phase is critical to what Scott sees as a whole-of-life approach to building relationships with his clients. It requires working at a personal, not product, level, which imposes considerable duty of care and demands a high level of service. He believes that care for a client is reflected in the level of service provided, which in turn delivers the long-term satisfaction that a client can experience and enjoy.

Scott says his insights have deepened further since Escala joined forces in 2019 with Focus Financial Partners, a global group of fiduciary wealth management firms. While maintaining our operational independence, the partnership arrangement provides us with access to significant knowledge, information and research available through the Focus international network.

These links, combined with the considerable expertise available through our CIO team and collegiate environment, enable Scott to enhance the level of service he provides to his clients, helping them meet their goal of financial security for current and future generations.

After graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Economics) degree, Jono spent three years working across multiple industries, including a research position at Evans and Partners and roles in accounting and auditing at KPMG.

His desire to transition to investment markets led to Jono joining our team in 2021, drawn by our collaborative environment and the opportunity to work with leading advisors in the wealth management industry. Jono is applying his finance expertise and analytical skills to help us develop successful and long-term relationships with our clients.

Mark has over 15 years of experience in the finance industry, developing a depth of knowledge and key skillsets. He commenced his career in private wealth management at Deutsche Bank in 2014 and started as an Associate Advisor at Escala Partners in 2016.

Mark provides investment advice to high-net worth individuals and families as well as wide-ranging trading advice. He has obtained a Diploma of Financial Services from Kaplan Professional, is an Accredited Derivatives Advisor and is currently on track to complete a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance at Macquarie University by the end of 2021.

Following the completion of a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Economics double degree at Monash University, Tim began a career in wealth management at UBS developing key skills and establishing important networks.

Tim’s scope of advice now ranges from superannuation planning to options and derivatives expertise and believes Escala’s collaborative approach to providing multi-asset class investment advice is where it provides the most value to its client family.

Heidi has worked in the finance industry for more than twenty years and offers considerable experience in a variety of areas including funds management, equity derivatives and private wealth management.

She was a founding partner of Family Office Research and Management (FORM), an investment advisory group that was established in Sydney in 2008 and merged with Escala in December 2016. Prior to FORM, Heidi was an Advisor with Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management (Australia).

Through her diverse skills and commitment, Heidi has built a reputation for providing quality investment management services tailored to the individual needs of a discrete group of family offices, high net worth individuals, families and charitable foundations.

Her dedicated approach has led to long-lasting client relationships based on total transparency, mutual trust, confidentiality and integrity, all principles that she values highly.

Heidi sees many benefits in the merger with Escala, as it brings together two collaborative wealth management businesses with aligned values and philosophies. She’s part of a team that offers greater depth of experience, expertise and intellectual capital that will enhance all client relationships.

Heidi holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Masters of Commerce (marketing and finance) from the University of New South Wales, and has completed an Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning.

Simon’s thirty-plus years’ experience in bond sales and origination, liability management and client derivative solutions ensures that he understands the diverse and complex needs of clients. His technical knowledge of markets and products is augmented by experience gained through a number of cycles, most notably the recent GFC. Simon has originated, distributed and advised on a number of diverse interest rate products including government, corporate and structured debt, as well as ASX listed interest rate, infrastructure and inflation linked bonds.

His clients have ranged from governments, global banks and fund managers to corporates, not-for-profits, family offices and high net worth individuals.

Simon has held senior roles at global investment banks in London and Melbourne and was most recently a founding partner of boutique fixed interest specialist, Laminar Group. Simon holds a B. Bus (Banking and Finance) from Monash University.

Gemma joined our team in 2019 in a part-time capacity while she is completing her Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Melbourne, majoring in Finance and Accounting. Our collaborative approach is allowing her to learn from some of the best advisers and asset class specialists in Australia.

Particular interests for Gemma are fixed income and ESG investing, and to this end she was drawn to our investment team being dedicated to intensive and timely analysis, our focus on agility and innovation, and our ability to provide clients with exclusive investment opportunities.

Gemma is keen to contribute to multigenerational wealth strategies and succession planning for high-net-wealth families and family offices, embracing the next generation of investors and actively involving them in developing strategies to preserve and grow their wealth.

Stephen has been working in investments markets for over fifteen years, with a focus on investment research. After completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Canberra and then obtaining a postgraduate Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification, Stephen moved to London, where he took up an opportunity to join HSBC Alternative Investments as an investment research analyst, concentrating on alternative investments.

After five years with that HSBC division, Stephen relocated to Asia to set up the firm’s dedicated Asian-based alternatives investment research program. He ultimately maintained global authority for management and performance of the research process for the Asian-based alternatives fund. A member of the five-person global alternative investment policy committee, Stephen evaluated and invested in assets across multi-strategy and single-strategy fund of funds. In making strategic global investments, Stephen’s work included developing alpha-driven solutions to meet the needs of clients in the alternatives industry.

Following more than a decade with HSBC, in 2015 Stephen joined BT Financial Group as Senior Research Analyst, responsible for conducting due diligence and monitoring investment managers on a wide array of investments and asset classes, particularly alternatives.

Stephen joined Escala in 2021 as an Investment Analyst, specialising in alternatives investments across all sub-asset classes.

Andrew is a qualified chartered accountant with more than twenty years of experience in the financial services industry. In 2007, looking to broaden his horizons, he moved to London, where he worked on the equities floor at JP Morgan, dealing with the challenging dynamics of the GFC. Following this, for the twelve years prior to joining Escala in 2021, Andrew worked exclusively in wealth management with large global and Australian banks, advising high-net-worth individuals, institutional clients and not-for-profit organisations.

Andrew is focused on developing long-term, purposeful and successful relationships with his clients, who draw on his considerable experience to help them navigate the financial markets. Andrew’s personalised approach is complemented by the strengths of the broader Escala team and offering, enabling him to deliver a client experience with a difference they welcome.

Amanda is a founding partner of our firm and lead investment advisor in our Not-for-Profit Investment Management Team. With more than thirty years’ experience in the financial services industry, she has amassed substantive capabilities as an equity research analyst and private client advisor.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne and has additional qualifications in applied finance and investment from the Securities Institute of Australia and the Securities and Derivatives Industry Association. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Registered Investment Advisor with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

After graduating from university, Amanda joined the equity research department of a stockbroking company. The attraction of undertaking financial modelling and analysis and developing investment strategies for institutional investors prompted her to pursue a career as an equity research analyst.

After several years, Amanda transitioned to corporate finance with KPMG in their Valuations group, helping clients formulate business objectives and strategies; however, her abiding interest in investments led her to move back into equity research for private investors.

Those earlier roles in equity research and valuations required a flexible approach to tailoring services for individual clients. These experiences formed the foundation of Amanda’s approach to wealth management, which, she believes, requires specific analysis of each client’s objectives and the development of aligned investment strategies.

In addition to advising private investors, Amanda has a particular interest in providing investment advice to not-for-profit organisations and foundations, leading her to accept positions on the investment committees of the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne Girls Grammar.

Over her time in the financial services sector, Amanda has developed some personal traits that have equipped her for success as both an investment advisor and mother of three children. Just as family support is key to a happy household, so too is the collegiate attitude at Escala, with everything designed to collectively care for our clients and help them realise their financial aspirations.

Larissa commenced her career in the financial services industry with Commonwealth Bank in 2010, later gaining a position with Commonwealth Private, where, prior to joining Escala, she was a private wealth associate, assisting advisors to create investment strategies tailored to ultra-high-net-worth clients. Her responsibilities included financial modelling, trade execution, maintaining the compliance of the client book, and managing bespoke portfolios.

Larissa holds a Diploma of Aviation, is an Accredited Derivatives Advisor (Levels 1 and 2) and is currently on track to complete her Bachelor of Commerce and Economics degree in 2023.

Constance Gaidatzis joined Escala Partners at its inception in August 2013.  As part of the investment advisory team, Constance is responsible for portfolio advice, client service and relationship management. Constance has over 18 years of experience and has built strong relationships within the industry.

Prior to joining Escala, Constance held various roles at leading global investment houses including UBS, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and AXA Australia. Constance previous experience includes portfolio management, asset allocation and transition management.

Constance holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from La Trobe University majoring in Business Law and Politics.  Constance is accredited in Securities and Managed Investment, Superannuation and has completed her Diploma in Financial Planning.

Katherine holds a Bachelor of Economics (Finance) degree, a diploma in international business and a financial markets certificate from Yale University. Her introduction to the finance industry began when she was in her final year of university, and she has since taken up roles in investment banking, mortgage broking and, now, wealth management.

Before joining us, Katherine worked for a mortgage broking firm in Melbourne for more than a year and is now building on her prior work experience to reinforce her understanding of financial markets from a broader perspective. She has also recently completed a certificate of securities and managed investments.

Nick graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1994 with degrees in Law (Honours) and Commerce. While studying law provided a solid foundation, he knew early on that he was destined for a career in finance and investment, and so chose accounting and finance as majors within his Commerce degree.

Upon graduating, Nick worked at Arthur Andersen (now EY) in their tax division for three years, focusing on corporate and superannuation taxation and structured finance transactions. Through the latter, he gained exposure to the investment banking industry. A broadening interest in businesses and their drivers of success led to a career switch to corporate finance, with a focus on M&A, and he joined UBS and then Merrill Lynch.

During this five-year phase in corporate finance and investment banking, Nick gained exposure to a wide range of financial markets and transactions, both private and public, and an interest in personal investment and equity markets was also piqued. He subsequently moved into funds management, initially managing private portfolios of listed Australian equities for high net worth individuals.

As his funds management career progressed, Nick increasingly focused on investing in small cap companies, often founded by entrepreneurs and self-made people. At the time, technology constraints dictated that larger investment portfolios of small cap companies were more efficiently managed within a pooled or unit trust/fund structure. This led him to co-found a company, Patriot Asset Management, for that purpose.

After running Patriot for five years, Nick moved to Karara Capital following the sale of the Patriot business and continued to manage the Ironbark Karara Australian Small Companies Fund for a further twelve years. Over that combined seventeen-year period, the unit trust/fund delivered substantial investment out-performance, generating net investment returns that were more than twice the rate of return of the fund’s performance benchmark. Importantly, Nick’s extensive experience with funds management provided him with an acute appreciation of the importance of accountability in delivering investment outcomes.

Having built a career as an investment professional spanning more than twenty years, Nick was attracted to Escala because of the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit, client-first approach and deep expertise across all asset classes, both domestically and off-shore. He could also see that, at its core, Escala is an investment advice business, with the full range of resources available to all clients.

Additionally, the firm’s significant scale and networks allow clients to access unique private market investment opportunities, which are then enabled by a strong direct internal investment capability. This combination of elements provides an excellent platform from which Nick can deliver optimal investment advice, individually tailored to meet client-specific objectives.

With twenty years of administrative experience, Gisele brings a cool head to her work and tackles each project with a no-fuss attitude and calm efficiency. She joined us in 2016 and, in her role as Executive Assistant to Pep Perry, ensures the smooth running of the Melbourne office.

After completing a Bachelor of Business degree at Monash University, majoring in Banking and Finance, Sandy commenced her career in the financial industry with National Australia Bank, working in custodial services. She further expanded her financial knowledge by moving to fund manager Blackrock, where she specialised in fixed income and derivative products.

Prior to joining our direct investment group in 2018, Sandy was a foreign exchange dealer with the mining company Orica, responsible for the funding of their daily operational requirements, the execution of trades, and issuance of debt in the financial market.

With her strong work ethic and disciplined approach, Sandy is dedicated to developing long-term relationships with our clients, built on delivering accurate and timely communications and advice.

Will has extensive knowledge of financial markets, gained through working with a global wealth management organisation prior to joining Escala Partners in 2015. He is accredited to provide advice on securities, foreign exchange, margin lending and superannuation.

Before coming to Escala, Will had worked with the founding partners of the firm and was attracted to their vision for setting a new standard in personalised wealth management. He could see their collegiate approach was the way to provide the best possible experience for his clients.

Now that Will is an established member of the team, he sees the reality of life at Escala surpassing his expectations on a daily basis, with the firm’s focus on excellence being practised not just in word but, importantly, in deed.

He says, ‘All Escala employees pride themselves on the highest standards of professionalism. Across the firm there is a relentless work ethic, which is delivering to clients the quality of service they deserve and expect’.

Will’s career in the industry began after he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne. He initially undertook a research role before transitioning into wealth management for private clients.

One of Will’s deep commitments is to developing long-term relationships with his clients, which he believes comes from establishing and maintaining strong two-way communication. He sees this as especially important when he is working with his clients and their families to build multi-generational portfolios. For Will, helping educate the next generation about investment is a source of real enjoyment.

Another particular interest, both professionally and in his life outside work, is the Not For Profit (NFP) sector. As part of his role at Escala, Will works with our NFP team, providing investment advice to a range of NFP organisations.

Will is acutely aware of his fiduciary duty as a professional advisor and the importance of providing the highest standard of care and diligence to all his clients. This principle is applied to each of his private family clients, and to the NFP organisations with whom he works.

Garrick has served on the Board of Escala Partners since the inception of the business in 2013 and brings a wealth of experience and skills to our practices in corporate strategy and governance.

Having been a commercial lawyer for more than thirty years, Garrick has built an extensive general corporate law practice, with his greatest expertise being in the areas of securities law, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, capital raisings, project finance, joint ventures and structuring, and corporate governance.

Garrick was selected for inclusion in the prestigious Asia Pacific Legal 500 lawyer rankings in 2009/10 and 2010/11, and the energy and resources and corporate M&A rankings in 2012/13.

As well as his Escala role, Garrick currently sits on a number of other Boards, including as a Director of Global Petroleum Limited.

British-born Torty brings to her leadership role considerable experience and acknowledged acumen as a business and relationship manager in the financial services industry. Her expertise ranges across management, coaching, front-to-back processing, and operations.

Commencing her career with UBS Wealth Management in the UK, in 2011 Torty joined UBS in Australia as Support Team Manager, then took up the role of Business Manager at Crestone Wealth Management, where she was instrumental in setting up their Melbourne office. Following a stint as Relationship Manager Financial Intermediaries at Crestone, in 2017 Torty joined Koda Capital as Head of Advice Services in Sydney.

In 2023, Torty reunited with Escala’s founders, who she had previously worked with at UBS. Having watched the firm grow and develop, she was attracted by the calibre of our team, the scope of our investment offering, and our diverse client base of high-net-worth individuals, family offices and not-for-profit organisations.

Torty has always been focused on putting clients first and delivering positive outcomes. She says, ‘clients are the reason we do what do, and ensuring we support them, guide them, and build trust is critical to their success and ours’.

Torty’s qualifications include a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bristol, an investment management certificate, and a certificate in para planning. She is currently completing the company directors course conducted by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

After completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at the University of Ballarat, Kris moved to Melbourne, where he worked as a paraplanner with WHK Horwath (now Crowe Horwath), before joining Ord Minnett as an investment assistant.

Realising that stockbroking and the traditional transaction-based services being provided were not aligned with his core values, he moved into wealth management and, in 2016, found the ideal fit with Escala.

Kris was drawn to our culture of collaboration and teamwork, coupled with our deep commitment to putting clients’ needs ahead of all else.

Kris’s focus is to build long-lasting and meaningful relationships with his clients, based on trust and integrity. He sees clear communication as a vital tool for effective client engagement and the efficient delivery of holistic investment advice tailored to each client’s needs.

Ben has worked in varied roles in the finance industry over 20 years, including investment banking, funds management and research. However, for the past 15 years he has worked exclusively in Wealth Management, with most of his tenure with global investment banks.

Ben’s diverse skill set provides him with the skills to deliver specialised, personalised advice which focusses on multi asset class portfolios for a discreet group of high-net worth families and charitable organisations.

His interactions with his clients highlights to him the importance of strong relationships, ensuring he gains a true understanding his clients objectives, requirements and expectations. A “no surprises” outcome for his clients is his goal.

For Ben, Escala offers a fresh approach — one that utilises a team based approach to managing our client family. This ensures that Escala exploits the knowledge, experience and intellectual capital that is available to our financial advisors. Team work is a choice that we all adhere to. It helps our advisory team members to deliver a service to their clients that is superior to what they have been able to deliver in the past.

In addition to his advisory work, Ben enjoys working with the CIO team and as a Director of the Escala Board.

Rafi has more than nine years of experience in the financial services industry, with a strong background in economic policy and analysis. After completing a Bachelor of Economics degree at Western Sydney University, he commenced his career at the corporate services firm Boardroom, with responsibility for the relationship management of top 100 ASX-listed companies and the project management of executive share and remuneration programs.

Along the way, Rafi gained extensive experience in managing equity portfolios and planning corporate tax structures. He joined Escala in 2017 after the opening of our Sydney office, and is a member of our bond trading team.

Rafi is a certified Financial Advisor and holds a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning, a Diploma of Financial Planning, and a Master of Applied Finance degree from Kaplan Professional.

Coire has completed a double-degree, a Bachelor in Accounting and Finance from La Trobe University, which included studying abroad at the Central University of Economics and Finance in Beijing. He also has a strong background in IT (Information Technology), having completed both his Certificate III in IT at the Box Hill Institute, and PC Maintenance and Repair of Hardware at the Aries Institute of Technology.

Coire graduated from university in 2012, with the focus of his studies being to gain a solid understanding of business both from an accounting standpoint and financial markets. This coupled with his IT expertise allowed him to secure a role as an Associate at Escala in May 2013.

Passionate about building a career at Escala Partners, Coire believes that joining the firm ‘day one’ has allowed him to see a wealth management business built from the ground up.

Stuart is a well-seasoned member of our team. His early background of three decades in stockbroking saw him working on the former ASX trading floor and then in sophisticated dealing desk environments for a clutch of established and well-respected firms. This experience armed him well for a subsequent decade solely committed to private wealth management.

Notably, Stuart has worked through three major financial market downturns — October 1987, the dotcom bubble crash in 2000, and the global financial crisis of 2008/09 —adroitly navigating a loyal client base through these challenging periods.

Since co-founding Escala, he has maintained this primary focus on the needs of clients, seeing them through all market cycles and, as he puts it, giving each of them ‘the whole nine yards’ in personalised service.

Stuart sees our collegiate approach as being vital to achieving the required outcomes for our clients with this attitude and methodology being applied across our skill sets and asset classes. Moreover, our advisors benefit from having an internal CIO team who undertake intensive research of market intelligence, drawn from both domestic and global sources and synthesised for dispersal across the firm.

“We don’t therefore end up with multiple market views from within a large and cumbersome investment organisation,” Stuart says. “Our market appraisals and investment approach are generated, refined and delivered to our clients in a timely and effective manner. We think globally, and act locally.”

As an advisor, Stuart’s traditional client base, and his forward focus, is high-net-worth individuals and their families, family businesses and offices, not-for-profit organisations and charities, and selected institutions.

Additionally, Stuart has always been of the view that it is essential to share the benefits of his industry experience and market understanding, and he continues to take on a valuable mentoring role within the firm and with the upcoming generation of investors among his clients.

Darragh graduated from the Technological University of Dublin with a BSc in Business and Management, with honours, and began his career in financial services in 2012, just as the fallout from the European debt crisis was unfolding.

Initially focused on trading, Darragh went on to gain experience in private wealth and investment banking, before moving to Sydney in 2018 to further his progression within the industry. That same year he became a CFA Institute charterholder.

In 2021, Darragh built on his deep interest in sustainable investing by completing the CFA’s Certificate in ESG Investing, gaining a sound understanding of best practice for asset owners and asset managers in this strategic imperative.

For more than a decade Luca has been providing high net worth individuals, families and family office clients with comprehensive wealth management services. These include financial planning, portfolio construction, estate and succession advice, asset allocation strategies that include access to private equity, alternatives, equities, and debt capital markets. Having worked for two of Australia’s private banks for many years, the move to Escala has afforded Luca the ability to deliver holistic and enduring solutions for clients.

As an investment advisor, he can leverage the depth and breadth of the Escala platform, including our CIO office with access to global research and thought leadership, offering the capability for clients to own any asset class in any market globally. He can draw upon the firm’s collective knowledge in financial planning, our direct fixed income desk, and our alternative investment team providing access to private debt/equity markets. With a focus on producing the best possible outcome for our clients, Escala offers a collegiate approach to wealth management that is unmatched by our competitors.

Tracey began her career in financial markets in 1995, initially as an economist for CS First Boston in Sydney, where she worked for her economics professor from Newcastle University. Upon completing her Masters degree at the University of NSW, she then moved into investment management with Westpac.

Tracey’s work with the bank’s quantitative asset allocation team included building equity, bond and currency models across domestic and international markets. When Westpac bought BT Financial Group, Tracey was appointed the firm’s Senior Economist. She became a CFA Charterholder in 2003.

In 2006, Tracey moved to Baillie Gifford in Edinburgh as a member of their fixed income team. After three years, family bought her back to Sydney, where she joined the fixed income and credit team at Colonial First State Asset Management. During this time, Tracey became a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

In 2013, Tracey took up the role of Head of Investment Strategy at UBS Asset Management, where she was responsible for the suite of multi-asset funds offered to Australian-based institutional clients. Briefly after leaving UBS, Tracey was Head of Asset allocation at Wilsons Advisory.

Tracey was appointed Chief Investment Officer at Escala in November 2019. In this role she has responsibility for strategic and tactical asset allocation and manager selection across all multi-asset funds, and is Chair of our Investment Committee and Approved Product List Committee.

As a seasoned investment practitioner for over twenty-five years, Tracey leads her team of four in bringing process, rigour and considered application to Escala’s asset allocation offering.

Tracey also has a strong commitment to community, demonstrated through her participation in various mentoring programs including a previous role as business mentor for the Sydney University Rugby Club. In 2022, she was appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to awarding overseas research fellowships to benefit the Australian community.

After completing his law degree, Tom practised law for twenty years with a large regional law firm on the north coast of New South Wales. He was offered partnership in the firm and enjoyed considerable success in this role. His work covered many areas of the law including succession and financial planning, superannuation, and governance around mortgage practices. He also became a qualified financial planner during this time.

Tom’s interest in investment and wealth management led to a career change and, in 1998, he joined Bankers Trust Australia. The knowledge and experience gained during his legal career became a launch pad to looking after the investments of high net worth clients. Tom’s early success resulted in him taking responsibility for several key accounts at an executive level. He was able to bring considerable ‘value add’ to the BT Wrap platform, which at the time was one of the largest in Australia.

A move to Deutsche Bank in 2004 meant Tom was able to continue working closely with investors to help them plan and execute their investment strategies. He is passionate about wealth management and has built a reputation for his honest and straightforward approach, combined with the ability to listen to his clients and fully understand their goals. He works in a collaborative manner and this has resulted in long-lasting, trusting relationships with numerous not-for-profit organisations and investors.

The offer to join Escala Partners keenly attracted Tom because of the company’s investment strategies and values, which align with his own, and he became a Partner in January 2017.

Henry began his career in accounting and financial services in 2017 and has a deep understanding of Australian wholesale fixed income and private debt markets. Working with our Direct Investments Team, he is assisting the delivery of bespoke outcomes for clients through direct investment opportunities, in particular our fixed-income curated portfolio offering.

Before joining Escala, Henry worked at BGC Partners on the fixed income solutions desk, most recently as a fixed income credit analyst. This role involved researching corporate debt across the capital structure, including senior, subordinated and hybrid debt as well as structured credit. Prior to moving into financial markets, he was with GlaxoSmithKline as a finance partnering associate, gaining skills in financial accounting.

Henry holds a Bachelor of Business (Economics and Finance) degree from RMIT University. He has also completed the Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst Certification course at the Corporate Finance Institute and is currently a CFA Level 2 Candidate with aspirations to become a CFA Charterholder.

Jack began working part-time at Escala in 2018 while completing his studies at Deakin University. He went on to graduate in 2021 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Financial Planning, and became a full-time member of our team as an associate advisor.

It was our collaborative and client-focused approach that resonated with Jack, exemplified by our ability to draw on the range of specialist expertise across the firm to provide clients with the best possible service and outcomes.

Another point of difference, he says, is that our investment process can draw on all local and international asset classes and regions, with portfolio construction then refined in accordance with each client’s risk and return profile.

Jack is grounded in the knowledge that building wealth does not happen overnight, which is in line with the firm’s view that the key to portfolio performance is planning for the long term and maintaining a disciplined approach based on reliable research and a robust investment process.

Having completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne, majoring in accounting and finance, Fred commenced his finance career with us in late 2021.

In his role as investment associate, he could see early on the benefits that clients gain from our collaborative culture, with advisors being able to draw on their collective expertise as well as that of our dedicated CIO team.

Fred is applying his skills to help us continue to develop strong relationships with our clients, and looks forward to building a successful career with the firm.

Although the provision of financial advice is well regulated in Australia, Brett believes the ultimate client protection comes from quality of advice, supported by robust custodial arrangements. This aligns with our vision to excel in the delivery of wealth managements services.

With his considerable experience in many facets of the finance industry, Brett, a qualified Chartered Accountant, is well equipped to Chair our Board of Directors. He was Vice Chairman of UBS for twenty-three years and also served for five years as Vice Chairman Australia of the Institutional Clients Group at Citigroup. While with UBS, Brett ran the capital markets team for fourteen years, raising more than $200 billion of equity.

Among other roles, Brett was a Non-Executive Director of Tabcorp and Chair of Audit and Risk for its demerged entity, Echo Entertainment. He was a Council Member at RMIT University and Chair of the Risk and Audit Committee.

Currently, Brett is also Chairman of Pointsbet Limited, an ASX-listed company, and a member of the Investment Committee of the ASX-listed Hearts and Minds Investments Limited (HM1), giving him valuable insights into the operations and functions of present-day corporations and their Boards.

Meaghan has been playing her key role with our finance team since 2018. She began her career working for a number of years with a global company in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. A move to Ernst and Young then saw her spend more than twelve years advising clients on how to solve complex problems and transform their business to meet the needs of stakeholders.

Meaghan has a Bachelor of Business degree and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Pep manages and has full oversight of the firm’s day-to-day administrative operations. He witnessed the opening of our first account with trepidation and excitement, then last year, with great satisfaction, saw the business surpass the benchmark of managing eight billion dollars of client funds, confirming our positive expectations for the future.

Pep began his 20-plus year career in the financial services industry as an advisor, before making the change to running wealth management businesses for Solomon Smith Barney and then UBS. Outside of his family, his greatest pride is the success he has enjoyed with his partners in building Escala.

“We have complete clarity about where Escala is headed and what we should be doing on behalf of our clients”, Pep says. “We do one thing, and that is advising our clients on their asset allocation. They include high-net-worth individuals, family offices, not-for-profit organisations, and charities. We’re flexible enough to do things on a bespoke level in managing the assets of that diverse group, with excellent resources in each asset class to develop optimal portfolios.”

As our firm continues to grow, it is clear that people are the most important element in our business. Great clients and great staff are what carries Escala to continued success.

Travis commenced his career in wealth management in 1995 after completing a degree in Economics at Monash University. He joined Escala in 2021, following eight years at Morgan Stanley, where he was an Executive Director responsible for advising the firm’s largest clients. Travis previously spent nine years at UBS, where he was a Director, and prior to that held a senior advisory role with the private banking division of Commonwealth Bank.

Drawing on his extensive experience and avid interest in investment markets and economic history, Travis advises a select group of ultra high net worth individuals and family groups in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Attesting to his commitment to consistently meet their needs and aspirations, since 2019 Travis has been ranked in the top forty of the survey of Australia’s best one hundred financial advisors conducted by the respected investment publication Barron’s. The criteria for the survey include consistently delivering positive outcomes and achieving client satisfaction.

Now an established member of our advisory team, Juliana began her career in the finance industry not long after completing her VCE when she joined RBS Morgans as an investment assistant, a role she maintained while studying for her Bachelor of Business degree at RMIT University. Then followed a move to Baillieu Stockbroking for three years.

Having developed a passion for helping individuals and families to achieve their financial objectives, Juliana decided to focus on wealth management and joined us in 2013. While furthering her knowledge by completing an Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning, she devoted herself to making a positive impact on the financial and personal lives of her clients, an aim supported by our collegiate culture.

The team-based approach we have instilled across the firm from the beginning has fostered the professional development of our younger generation of advisors like Juliana, providing them with opportunities to learn from the industry leaders in our investment and advisory teams.

Testament to Juliana’s skills and dedication, and the benefits of our collaborative work environment, is her shortlisting as a Financial Advisor of the Year finalist in the 2023 Women in Finance Awards.

That recognition, Juliana says, reflects the importance she places on building trusting relationships with her clients, through transparency, open communication, and always acting in their best interests. At a service level, that means helping them to navigate the intricacies of the financial landscape with a solutions-based approach tailored to their investment goals.

After completing a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration degree at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, James moved to Sydney, where he joined Deutsche Bank as an investment advisor. While there he assisted high net worth and family office clients with their investment strategies and corporate activity, building specialist knowledge in domestic equities, structured products and other alternative investments.

James was drawn to Escala’s culture of collaboration and teamwork, which enables our advisors to leverage the firm’s diverse skill sets to ensure clients receive the best possible advice. He sees great client benefit in having a dedicated CIO team that establishes investment themes and sets the strategic and tactical asset allocation parameters for the implementation of multi-asset-class portfolios.

James is focused on developing long-term, meaningful relationships with his clients, helping them plan and implement tailored investment strategies for multi-generational wealth creation through the application of well-rounded asset allocation skills.

Chris is a very effective senior business executive who has had extensive involvement with a number of global financial institutions in the US and Australia. He offers more than thirty years’ experience working in investment banking, global markets, asset management and wealth management.

Over that time, Chris has also gained widespread expertise in customer and commercial management, finance, risk management, regulatory and prudential governance, business turnaround and organisational change management.

A tenacious and inspirational leader, in the last fifteen years Chris has held a number of senior executive roles with Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch in Australia. Before joining Escala, he was head of Deutsche Bank’s wealth management team and their asset management global client group.

In addition to his roles at Escala, Chris is a board member and senior advisor to a number of other organisations including Sturt Capital Partners and Wayside Chapel and has been a board member at Elevate Australasia and an independent director with Merrill Lynch Equities. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, is certified to US Series 7 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Asian Studies.

After completing high school, Lachlan had an urge to study finance and gain experience in the financial services industry. During the first year of his Bachelor of Applied Finance degree at Macquarie University, he obtained a full-time role at CommSec, giving him valuable insights into financial operations in Australia and an understanding of the importance of tailored customer service.

Looking to transition into wealth management, Lachlan joined our team in March 2023, working with three advisors in the Sydney office. While continuing to study for his degree, Lachlan is focusing on further developing his skills and broadening his understanding of investments across all asset classes.

Con is a highly regarded and respected advisor in the Australian fixed income markets, having forged a career across sales, advice and debt origination over the past eighteen years. His primary focus is to leverage his deep understanding of wholesale fixed income and private debt markets to tailor personalised direct investment options for our clients.

Before joining Escala, Con was head of debt capital markets at the brokerage and financial technology firm BGC Partners, where he was responsible for providing funding to companies via the wholesale bond markets. This involved new debt origination as well as restructuring existing debt with cost-effective structures and lower borrowing costs. Prior to that he was head of capital markets and a partner at the fixed interest specialists Laminar Capital, advising corporate clients and authorised deposit-taking institutions on all facets of the business, including senior and subordinated debt origination, and was responsible for the daily trading flow of the company.

Con has a Masters of Applied Finance from Macquarie University, a Degree in Banking and Finance from Victoria University and a Diploma of Financial Planning (Financial Services) from Kaplan Business School.

A member of our NFP investment management team, Dylan views his relative youth as a positive in an industry undergoing significant transformation, driven by technological development, industry consolidation, increasing investment in alternative assets, and greater client expectations.

He says providing investment management and advisory services to not-for-profit organisations has strengthened his dedication to responsible and sustainable investing, and good governance practices.

Dylan holds a Business degree in Economics, Banking and Finance from Monash University, a Diploma of Financial Planning, and is an Accredited Derivatives Adviser (Level 1). His experience in financial services since 2013, including broking, financial planning and investment advisory roles, led to him being appointed to the ASIC Financial Advisers Register in 2018, at the age of twenty-five.

He was drawn to Escala in 2019 by the opportunity to work directly with two of Australia’s Top 20 financial advisors, as named by the renowned investment publication Barron’s. Additionally, our flat management structure and team-based approach allows for daily collaboration with our other highly respected advisors, resulting in optimum client experiences and outcomes.

Dylan credits the experience he has gained from holding senior leadership positions for his competence in communicating effectively with clients ranging from younger generations of high-net-wealth families to Board members of not-for-profit organisations.