Matthews Steer Appoints Head of Wealth Management
North-west Melbourne premier accounting and advisory firm, Matthews Steer, has appointed Christine Brown as a partner and head of wealth management.
Ms Brown, who will assume her role on June 1, has more than 18 years’ experience in the financial services sector, following 10 years running her own Print Management business, which she sold in 2001.
Managing Partner, Ken Matthews, said Ms Brown’s appointment is a major coup for Matthews Steer as the firm sets its sights on doubling the size of its business over the next three years.
“We see Christine as something of a unicorn who can both execute on the high-end technical financial planning advisory, and also run, develop and grow our team. That’s very, very rare,” said Matthews.
“Christine has a great understanding of what makes successful businesses work. She invests time with her clients to understand their needs, and considers their best interests first and foremost, with strategy, structure and investment advice guided by their individual plans and goals. At Matthews Steer we take a relationship-based rather than transactional-based approach to business, which makes Christine’s philosophy a perfect fit for us culturally.”
Ms Brown said she was looking forward to guiding Matthews Steer to maximise its potential in the wealth management space. “Owning my own business gave me a passion for seeking growth opportunities,” said Ms Brown. “I’m looking forward to expanding the wealth management client portfolio, and putting new structures in place to support the professional development and succession of our team.
“Having worked in both accounting and financial planning, I feel I have a good understanding of both how financial planning can add value, and how, if both sides of the business collaborate, they can achieve great outcomes for clients.”
Established in 1990, Matthews Steer specialises in business and tax advisory, business mentoring and government grant facilitation, while also offering traditional accounting and financial planning services. Ms Brown’s appointment follows the strategic acquisition of Matthews Steer by financial services SME specialist AZ NGA in 2020, and brings the firms partnership to seven, with 50 staff.
Matthews said AZ NGA’s support and backing was integral to Ms Brown’s recruitment. “We’re currently enjoying one of the most exciting periods in Matthews Steer’s 31-year history. We’ve got an excellent firm, excellent people, great backers and an appetite for expansion. We’re thrilled to attract someone of Christine’s calibre and we see this as a significant step forward for our wealth management capability, and the continued growth of our business,” he said.