Most influential financial advisers revealed in FS Power50

Financial Standard has recognised the most influential financial advisers in Australia in its annual FS Power50 list.

The Power50 list, now in its 11^th year, comprises 50 financial advisers who are deemed to be best promoting the value of the financial advice profession, while providing outstanding service to clients and the wider community.

Power50 selection began with an open nominations process, which was vetted down to 114 advisers. These advisers proceeded to a voting phase, where readers of Financial Standard and FS Advice voted; these votes were then weighted to determine the final 50.

"In the making of this list, we defined 'influential' as individuals who have been, or continue to be, instrumental in shaping the future of the financial advice industry. It's become clear in recent years just how seriously the advice community takes the Power50 - they want to see a list of advisers they can stand behind each year, one that is truly representative of the industry. A list by advisers, for advisers," Financial Standard managing editor Jamie Williamson said.

This year's Power50 had a strong representation from Queensland, with advisers from the Sunshine State making up 36% of the honorees - the highest representation by state.

Meantime, women accounted for 36% of the advisers on the list, an increase of 6% from 2023.

There was also an even split in the size of the companies represented, with half of this year's advisers coming from groups with 50 or fewer advisers and the other half from groups with more than 50.

Meanwhile, the list welcomed 15 first-time honorees, bringing the total alumni count to 267.

The newcomers include:

• Family Wealth Advisory founder and managing director Michael Bova
• UniSuper advice senior private client adviser Melinda Brown
• My Wealth Solutions director and senior financial advisers Ben Budge
• My Wealth Solutions managing director and senior financial adviser Guy Freeman
• Goldsworthy Private Wealth director and senior financial planner Jen Goldsworthy
• Bountiful Wealth managing director and senior financial planner Michael Kerr
• Aureus Financial chief executive Jackson Millan
• Viridian Advisory senior financial adviser Amanda Ragkousis
• Sherlock Wealth owner and head of advice Andrew Sherlock
• Prosperity Wealth Advisers director and head of financial services Hamish Landreth
• Saltwater Financial Group director and senior financial adviser Sophie McClelland
• DP Wealth Advisory director Andrew Wielandt
• Peak Wealth Management partner and financial adviser Kristian Zuza

"We thank the advice community for their level of engagement; we are proud to present a list of advisers who are doing their bit for their clients, their community and their colleagues, as selected by their peers," Williamson said.

To see who else was named a 2024 FS Power50 adviser, download the annual guide.