Leon Taube
Dealing With IOOF

Introducing…

Leon Taube, Adviser Administration Officer – Customer Management

1 What do you and your team do at IOOF?

I work in the Adviser Administration team. We are responsible for setting up and maintaining new dealer and adviser records, changes of advisers, processing client authorities and adviser registration on Portfolio Online.

2 When and why did you join IOOF?

I joined IOOF over five years ago, after working for AXA for almost five years. A new call centre team was created at IOOF about five years ago, that was dealing only with advisers and adviser queries, and I felt that it was a good career move as at that stage I was thinking to go into para-planning.

3 What was your first job?

Shoe salesman.

4 What is the strangest thing that’s happened to you at work?

I have turned up to work last month wearing two different shoes. It was more embarrassing rather than strange and I don’t have a valid excuse for it!

5 Tell us one fact your colleagues might be surprised to learn

I am fluent in three different languages. I was born in Ukraine and had to learn Ukrainian and Russian at school with German being an additional language in school and English at University (I have studied Engineering at Uni). Moved to Australia 18 years ago.

6 Craziest thing I've done…

Would probably be zip lining in the Honduras two years ago. Zip lining is a combination of suspended cables mounted on an incline. You are physically propelled by gravity to traverse from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable. Cables are attached to the trees, usually somewhere in the jungle or remote area. You attach a harness to a steel cable and “fly”. To stop or break or adjust your speed, you use a heavy duty glove. Another way to stop is to smash into a tree. They had a mattress wrapped abound the tree at the end of each leg.

7 Something I’d like to learn is…

Ice skating. Growing up in Ukraine, there is plenty of ice in winter. However, trying to learn how to ice skate causes bruising!

8 What is your favourite sports team?

Coming from Europe, I like soccer. My favourite soccer team was Dynamo Kiev, because my father was a fan. I tried to play soccer in school, but ended up with a broken arm…Then again…who plays soccer in winter on ice?

9 What is your favourite TV show?

Anything trashy. From Dexter to 24. All the CSI series and The Tudors.

10 If I didn't live in Melbourne…

I have travelled a lot. And if I didn’t live in Melbourne, I would probably buy a ticket to Melbourne…Hey it is my home town now!