2018 AFA Practice of the Year.
The Wealth Designers - Australia’s leading boutique financial advisory group.

CFP SSA, B.Bus, DFP

You might see articles by Troy MacMillan regularly in the finance section of The West Australian, or see him speaking to some of the country’s most influential people. Since founding TWD, the company has been awarded Australia’s Best Advice Practice – and named a winner in WA for the Telstra Small Business Award.

His ethos is built upon lessons learned from years spent living and working in Japan, where he adopted the philosophy of “kaizen,” which translates to “continuous and never-ending improvement.” Troy is also a member of the Board of Directors for Nulsen Disability Services. His vision is to deliver greater financial certainty to more Australians.

“I’ve always been a goal-setter. I think that’s why I love hearing people’s stories and then helping them achieve their ambitions.”

Graeme began his career in financial services in 1973 and brings a wealth of experience; working with financial services practices, dealer groups and institutions; to TWD.

He was appointed State Manager of Western Australia of Legal & General of Coopers & Lybrand in 1994. Later, working for Colonial when it was acquired by Commonwealth Bank in June 2000, he was appointed Head of Sales, Third Party Distribution. In 2003 he became a partner at Encore Group, a business management consulting firm – later moving to Opex as Head of Practice Consulting.

Graeme was appointed General Manager of The Wealth Designers in early 2017, and continues to work closely with a number of leading financial practices as their Chairman and/or a member of their Board of Advice.

CA, B.Comm, DFS SSA

Principal Wealth Adviser Stephen Kostarelas has 14 years of wealth management consulting experience including experience as a Chartered Accountant. He consistently cuts through financial complexity to deliver certainty leadership, clarity and direction.

Having previous experience in boutique firms and one of the Big 4 accounting firms, he developed his tax and accounting knowledge and specialised in working with large family groups advising on complex tax and accounting matters.

Stephen has worked with a multinational Australian Listed Company with a turnover in excess of $10 Billion per year. There he was the Corporate Financial Controller managing nearly $500 Million in turnover/$50 Million profit per year. He has also held various other leadership roles in businesses with turnover up to $1 Billion.

With a detailed understanding of all superannuation and investment matters in Australia and overseas, Stephen specialises in Self-Managed Superannuation Funds and Family Trust Structures.

CFP B.Comm DFS SSA

Incredible work ethic and client care earned Cara the role of Director before her 30th birthday. She joined TWD after working for a large national firm and finding she didn’t like the ‘corporate approach.’ Meeting Troy, she remembers, “I loved how different his approach was and pretty much made him hire me – even though he wasn’t recruiting at the time.”

With so much to see and do in WA, Cara loves the Perth lifestyle. Having a decidedly functional home means she has more time outside of office hours for going on long walks in nature, camping with her dog and partner, and enjoying theatre shows with a red wine or craft beer.

Embodying TWD’s ethos on giving back, Cara has a charitable heart, one time creating an event which raised $17,000 for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Recalling it now, she says, “I woke up the next morning buzzing, feeling so proud and pumped to do it again.”

Cara has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance & Economics), a Diploma of Financial Planning, is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and an accredited Self-Managed Super Fund Specialist Adviser.

Michelle joined TWD more than decade ago, moving to Perth to pursue a career changing the world of financial advice.

She believes that there is no greater satisfaction than being able to make life easier, happier and less stressful for a client (or fellow member of the TWD team), allowing them to focus on what’s important.

“Knowing that our clients, and the people I work with, trust me to be there for them and to deliver a high level of service is truly gratifying.”

CFP, DFP, B.Bus

Dwight has spent over 17 years providing advice to his clients, with primary responsibilities of providing Strategic Advice to a small number of clients (successful individuals, their family groups and not-for-profit organisations). Dwight’s specialities are in the areas of Taxation, Superannuation, Philanthropy, Wealth Security and Succession Planning.

Dwight joined TWD to enhance the Philanthropic Service to include a provision of Strategic support to our For-Purpose Clients (whether they be Philanthropists, Corporate, Social Entrepreneur or Not-For-Profits). Dwight’s experience in this field has come from over 10 years as an adviser at a leading wealth management business that has over 400 Not-For-Profit clients. Dwight’s experience with Philanthropic and Not-For-Profit clients makes him perfectly placed to help our clients give back to the community in the most effective manner.

Dwight has a Bachelor of Business (Finance & Economics), a Diploma in Financial Planning, is a Certified Financial Planner and an Accredited Family Business Adviser.

B.Comm, Adv DFS (FP)

David has been in financial advice since the turn of the century. Having worked in various sectors of the finance industry he discovered that not every firm has an offering which best aligns with what clients need.  The belief in the “value of advice” brought him to TWD, where he says “empowering others around their money gives me a great buzz.”

A family man with young children, he places honesty and dependability as high on his list of core values, with the motto, “Life is short be genuine.” You can also rely on him for a top-shelf craft beer recommendation. Those within the TWD family know him not just for his skill and care with clients, but also his ability to dispense useless trivia about obscure bands and albums.

B.Comm, DFS

Growing up in Hong Kong, Matthew had an inherent interest in accounting roles before entering the advisory and investment sector. Never one to shy away from responsibility, he also spent two years caring for children with Down Syndrome before moving to Australia.

After spending 5 years at another firm in Perth, he transitioned to TWD to focus on client-centric investment and strategic planning advice. As a TWD Wealth Adviser he’s at home occupying this important role in people’s lives. Outside the office, you’ll find Matthew in the great outdoors with his wife and three kids…. or cheering on his beloved Manchester United.

Laura is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Financial Accounting, Business Law minor) and Graduate Certificate in Arts (Cultural Studies). A love of travel inspired her to broaden her education by studying interstate at the University of Western Australia and Melbourne University as well as internationally at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She has worked closely with high net worth individuals, private foundations, not-for-profit entities and Native Title Trusts providing wealth management, investment advisory, accounting and tax services in a multi-family office. Laura enjoys building trusted relationships with clients and gaining an understanding of their values and priorities so she can provide a high level of service that meets their needs.

B.Econ, LLB

Andree joined TWD in 2015, bringing with her a wealth of expertise in the area of capital markets contract legal.

Bachelor of Commerce, Econ & Finance

One of the youngest members of the team, Taylor joined TWD in 2017 and is fast becoming a key player in the organisation.

Jonathan is just as much at home in nature as he is explaining the economic reasoning behind a progressive tax rate. Intelligent and worldly, he counts some of his most memorable experiences as standing on the snow-masked peak of a mountain in New Zealand, swimming with turtles around the Great Barrier Reef, and the world changing day of his final exam at university.

While originally enrolling in engineering at UWA, and dabbling in philosophy, eventually he found his passion and finished a double major in accounting and finance in two years. Work experience at a financial services firm led him to an interest in financial planning and eventually to TWD.

He’s quick to recognise the support and guidance of his family, and the wisdom and intellect of his partner in making him who is is today, and cites American philosopher professor, Wes Cecil, as the “single greatest influence on my personal growth.”

As Head of Investments at TWD, Abby Macnish is responsible for providing portfolio investment solutions for advisers and clients across all products and client segments.

Abby’s ongoing advice, monitoring and performance attribution analysis provides a strong basis for our clients’ portfolio management.

Abby has over 13 years of experience in wealth management and strategic investment management.

Prior to joining TWD, Abby was Portfolio Manager, Chief Investment Office at ANZ. She previously worked in Investment Strategy for UBS Wealth Management Australia (UBS Australia). In this role she was responsible for delivering Tactical Asset Allocation changes, Model Portfolios, Direct Equity Offerings and meeting with clients and prospects to deliver proposed investment solutions.

Throughout her career, Abby has been regularly involved in media work, including interviews for Sky Business, AFR, Smart Investor, The Australian and Sydney Morning Herald, delivering market and economic views and insights, in both television and print.

MSc (Min Econ)

Senior Investment Manager, Andrew Quin, has a deep understanding of market structures and the factors that derive market conditions.

He brings to TWD more than a decade of experience as a Research/Strategy Coordinator, and 15 years working in trade and commodities. Andrew Quin is also the recipient of the Sir Charles Court Award for excellence in export economics.

His book Investing on Wall Street was published in 2005, the practical guide receiving praise from the Australian Investors Association.

After earning a Master of Science in Economics at Curtin University, Andrew joined a well-known Australian stockbroker, working within macroeconomic analysis, portfolio construction and stock recommendations for superannuation.

Andrew is looking to build packages of alternative asset classes that are flexible with your wishes. He’s an advocate for bringing a theme-based recommendation approach to portfolios, including impact investing, dividend compounding and disruptive technology.

He aims to develop an ordered approach to asset allocation, through an investment committee and due diligence structure. Andrew Quin is personally available to you for investment advice and is looking forward to meeting you. To find out more and read some of his financial market observations, connect with him on LinkedIn.

Merlea Investments

An external member of our Investment Committee is Director and Financial Adviser of Merlea Investments, Brian Nash. Providing investment and financial planning advice since 1985, he holds a Diploma of Financial Advising and is an Affiliate Member of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Brian has been the leading force behind Merlea Investments’ unique research software for analysing all economic data. This research has led to proven results of low risk and volatility with very worthwhile investment returns to clients.

As a member of our Investment Committee, Brian provides unique information and data techniques. His up-to-date knowledge from websites, newspapers, journals, market briefing sessions and seminars proves invaluable to the decision making process.

Well-executed administration is important to any organisation, and Hannah brings her skills to directly add value to other people with the work she does. She says her spirit animal is her dog, Penelope, “Cute, clever and high maintenance,” in her words. Known for being impressively organised and diligent, Hannah is also able to pivot when needed (once booking a spontaneous one way trip to Japan).

Displaying impeccable style, Hannah is also the go-to person in the office for makeup tips. An invaluable member of the TWD team, the three things Hannah puts first in her life are, “My health, my relationships, and good food. They add so much joy to my life.”

Our receptionist and resident Dockers fan, Cindy has been an integral part of the TWD team for over five years. Joining us and rejoining the workforce after the sad passing of her husband, she mentioned that being a part of the family has played a big role in the healing process. While she’s a proud mother, if she was born in another century Cindy reckons she would have been an awesome midfielder.