New Count Financial chief executive officer, David Lane, has committed the dealer group to remaining independent while outlining his strategy for recruitment and servicing members.
Lane was appointed to the role in December last year and his tenure to date has been characterised by a revamping of the business with a special focus on services to members.
He has also sought to reassure those advisers wary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) intentions that their independence would be safeguarded.
“I don’t think anyone has done a better a job than Barry Lambert in pulling together a group of like-minded accountants with a passion for financial advice,” he told Professional Planner Online as part of a regular series of interviews with dealer-group heads.
“The Count brand is going to remain and its independence is going to remain. There were a few Count members who were nervous about this at first. But it is very easy to dispel these concerns.
“It’s a free world out there. Our members chose us and they could easily choose someone else. If we don’t maintain that independence then we will have undone all of the good stuff that Barry has done over the years.”
While Lane concedes that financial reforms and the fierce recruitment battle have upped the ante for dealer groups looking to attract advisers, he is confident Count is well positioned to take advantage of the new environment.
“All advisers are free agents and we have to provide a differentiated service. We don’t want people who don’t want to be here,” he says.
“Most dealer-group heads have to worry about compliance as an issue (as a result of financial reform), but knowing the type of advisers we have and the type of relationships they have with their clients really does a lot to ease concerns.”
He also believes the imminent demise of the accountants’ exemption will create an opportunity for the business.
“It has been about to go away for a long time but I think it’s fair to assume that in the near term it will go away,” he says.
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