Best Practice Forum - Retirement Income

Michael Watson is Director, Head of Distribution at La Trobe Financial. Michael has over 20 years' experience in financial services and joined the business in 2013. Prior to joining La Trobe Financial, Michael's career has spanned diverse disciplines including credit, portfolio, marketing and distribution with Big 4 Australian banks and an NBFI. Michael holds an MBA from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Business (Economics & Marketing) from La Trobe University, and additionally obtained a Diploma of Financial Planning and a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking.

Irene Goh is the Head of Multi-Asset & Investment Solutions for Asia Pacific and Head of Hong Kong where she has responsibility for designing and managing global multi-asset and solutions portfolios of clients in Asia Pacific and represents the Group's Multi-Asset investment capability in the region.

Irene is a voting member of the firm's Global Investment Group and Asset Allocation Group, that challenge cross-asset investment research within the firm as well as provide forward-looking macro and asset allocation views that shape client portfolios globally.

Irene joined abrdn in 2016 from Alliance Bernstein where she held a similar role as Head of Multi-Asset Investments for Asia-Pacific and a member of the Global Dynamic Asset Allocation portfolio management team.

Currently an Advisor to the Insurance Asset Management Association of China (IAMAC) Open Market Investment Committee, and a non-executive Director of the Board at Heng An Standard Life Insurance Company in China.

Raf Choudhury is an Investment Director - Multi-Asset Investment Solutions where he is responsible for the development and management of multi-asset portfolios for the Australian market.

Raf joined the company in May 2022 from State Street Global Advisors where he held multiple roles, most recently as Head of Investment Strategy & Research - Australia. In this role, Raf was in charge of producing and delivering bespoke client research as well as engaging with clients across a number of investment related topics.

Prior to that, Raf was a Senior Portfolio Manager responsible for managing strategic, tactical and absolute return investment portfolios.

Ben has over 25 years of experience in strategic management and product leadership across superannuation, SMSFs, private wealth, banking, and property. Ben joined AMP in 2021 as the General Manager Retirement Solutions where he led the development of MyNorth Lifetime, a suite of market-leading solutions that aim to help Australians have greater comfort and confidence in retirement. Prior to joining AMP, Ben most recently held senior product leadership roles at QSuper, Sunsuper and ANZ.

Karl Linder, Trilogy Funds' Distribution Manager for Victoria, joined the company in 2023, bringing with him two decades of expertise in sales and distribution within the funds management industry. Prior to his tenure at Trilogy, Karl held pivotal roles at financial institutions, including abrdn, Aviva Investments, and Perpetual Investments. His background also includes four years as a financial advisor, which afforded him valuable insights into the intricacies of small business operations. Karl's educational qualifications include an MBA, a Bachelor of Economics, and a Diploma in Financial Planning.

Jason founded Vertium Asset Management in 2017 and has around 20 years' Australian equity investment management experience. He leads Vertium's investment team and is responsible for the firm's investment philosophy, process and portfolio management. Before establishing Vertium, Jason was a Senior Portfolio Manager at Investors Mutual. He was the architect of the Investors Mutual Equity Income Fund, which he successfully managed for almost six years. As the second-longest serving employee at Investors Mutual spanning over 16 years, he had a variety of roles including managing a share of the Investors Mutual Australian Share Fund and as an Equity Analyst and Senior Quantitative Analyst.

From science to intellectual property to advice, Nicola's rich knowledge base has shaped her into the respected adviser she is today. An aged care professional, Nicola is passionate about helping people achieve the life they desire and deserve, through her work at FMD Financial ,chair of the Pro Bono Financial Advice Network and as a committee member of the FPA's Melbourne Chapter.

After almost 15 years with the team at First Financial, James has recently become a part owner of the business. Over his tenure, he says he's seen firsthand the difference in people's lives that having a partner by your side, one that continually helps you instigate incremental change, can bring. James is also helping shape the next generation of advisers through guest lectures at RMIT and Deakin University and, with a growing social media presence, is regularly called upon by businesses to talk about the basics of finance and to motivate Australians to engage with their money.

John is passionate about working with ambitious people, helping them to achieve financial freedom. He is an outspoken advocate for goals-based financial advice which allows clients to develop a clear understanding of what they really want to achieve and a legacy they can be proud of. His passion for financial advice runs in the family; John was just 20 years old when he founded AFA Advice group.

Cassandra Baldini is a senior journalist at Financial Standard. Prior to this, she was a reporter at the Daily Telegraph's digital subsidiary News Local covering court, crime and community news. She held various roles at Bloomberg in the London newsroom, and worked at Vanguard and Sony. She has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Macleay.