Our Founder

Hey there! I’m Troy MacMillan and I’m the founder of The Wealth Designers.

As a kid, I spent every spare second figuring out ways to grow cash.

Pint-sized and money-obsessed, I was at risk of knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. But I was lucky to be raised by the most kind-hearted woman – my mum, Sharl. Mum encouraged my love of multiplying money, but also drilled into me the importance of living well. That meant being the best human I could be, and being aware that traits like compassion, integrity, decency and empathy are worth more than all the world’s riches.

Being recognised as one of Australia’s leading financial experts has been incredibly rewarding, but it doesn’t beat the feeling of helping all Australians to kick their wealth goals and live their best lives, every single day.

About Troy

In 2009, I founded The Wealth Designers. I’m proud to say it’s won many impressive awards and is now considered one of Australia’s top financial advisory firms.

With The Wealth Designers, I created a whole new wealth advice model to deal with some of the things in the industry that really made me uncomfortable. For over 20 years, I’ve helped all kinds of people to grow their money. Widows, single parents, retirees, divorcees, executives, business leaders, medical professionals, mining magnates, you name it.

Here’s a little more about my life (and wealth) journey:

My wealth journey began with bottle collecting. I used to return them to the corner store for a refund, but I could only get 10 bottles in a crate. I had to figure out how make more money, faster. I tried a basket and occy straps and learnt the hard way that didn’t work. Eventually I developed a trailer system, where I could carry a whopping 50 bottles in five crates at a time. That earned me $5, which made me a kid millionaire back then.
A few years later, I became an octopus hunter. After finding one at Trigg beach and selling it for bait, I sniffed out a lucrative business opportunity. I recruited two mates and we’d explore the rocks and reefs daily. We got so good at occy hunting I became an unofficial supplier for Doug Cleggs Tackle Shop.
My mum, Sharl, gave me a job in her record store when I was 14. I watched the way she created the most beautiful client experience for people, making everyone feel seen, heard and valued. When I started my finance business, I asked myself, “if I was a client, what would I want – and how would my mum deliver it?”
At 21, I was travelling the world with my mate. We were in Aspen and noticed an older gent dining alone. We invited him to join our table, and it turned out he was a gun investor. I ended up having a lifelong friendship with Fred, who gave me the best financial education I could have dreamed of.
When I was 26, I trained under the world’s best karate instructor in Japan. It was my own Mr Miyagi moment, and taught me so many lessons about honour and discipline. I lived and trained in Japan for four years.
These days, I’m CEO of The Wealth Designers, proud leader of an awesome team of finance experts and a practice named the best in Australia, award-winning adviser, author, business leader, dad to three very cool kids and one very woolly labradoodle, and on a mission to help all Australians to live well.

Media Commentary

Need an informed finance comment delivered in an engaging way?

If you’re a journo needing an informed, interesting and accessible finance comment, or trusted source for a print, TV or radio story, drop me a line.

Topics may include things like:

Teaching good money habits to kids
Retiring early
Family finances
Your Super questions answered
Investing for your future.

I’ve contributed to plenty of popular media outlets over the past 10 years, including the Australian Financial Review, The Sunday Times, The West Australian, 720 ABC Perth and News Talk.

Keynote Speaker

I love to talk finances.

I’m passionate about making financial advice accessible to all Australians. As your keynote speaker, I cover all kinds of money topics in a relaxed and engaging (yes, really!) way.

As someone who built a leading wealth advisory business from the ground-up, is a member of most professional bodies, and has attended dozens of industry conferences all over the world, I also love sharing my insights with other financial professionals.

I toured all over Australia as a keynote speaker after The Wealth Designers was named 2018 AFA Australian Practice of the Year (and yes, sometimes I did need to be surgically removed from the microphone).