Alex Tullio
Viewpoint with John Billington

By Alex Tullio

Welcome to the final edition of @dviser Magazine for 2009

This year has certainly been tough, and I think everyone is looking forward to a break over Christmas, and starting fresh in 2010.

From an IOOF perspective, we have experienced a great deal of change, and are a far larger organisation than we were this time last year. The merger with AWM and the acquisition of Australian Skandia Limited have provided the Group with much needed scale and strength in what will continue to be challenging times.

In addition to being one of the oldest financial services companies in Australia, we are now also Australia’s largest independent wealth management company, firmly entrenched in the Top 10 providers in the industry, and managing over $100 billion1 on behalf of you and your clients.

We are currently focussed on the integration and consolidation of the three businesses, particularly in relation to our range of products (we currently have eight very similar platforms). During this time, we will make every endeavour to minimise the amount of disruption caused to you and your clients (as a result of integration activities), and will continue to work closely with you to ensure that any changes we make continue to meet your needs.

We understand that as a bare minimum, we must provide you with excellent service and a competitive range of products. However, we believe strongly that our role is far more than just a product manufacturer. We believe that through working with our advisers and Dealer Groups as key business partners, we can add a great deal of value to your business.

2009 saw the advent of Adviser Sales Training and Business Optimisation Courses, together with the continuation of our Business Affinity Program, offering a range of services such as research, marketing and technical advice to support your business.

Next year will see us further increase these support services to include more courses, workshops and training. These are all designed to support you in growing, restructuring, or building a succession plan for your business.

As part of this program, we will also be launching a new webinar series focussed on developing Centres of Influence early in the new year, as well as a new workshop “Transitioning from commission to fees”.

Stay tuned for the launch dates early in the new year.

Last but not least, we would like to thank you all for your continued support and choosing to do business with IOOF.

On behalf of the team at IOOF, I would like to wish you and your families a very safe and happy festive season.

Season greetings and a happy and successful New Year!

If you have any comments, queries, ideas or feedback, please feel free to contact me on
03 8614 4881, or email me directly.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of @dviser Magazine!

Kind regards,

Alex Tullio
Head of Advised Sales, IOOF

1as at 30 September 2009