We’ve assembled a pretty special crew here at The Wealth Designers.
Whip-smart, experienced, kind, compassionate and committed to helping people live with both money and meaning. We’re all fierce advocates of living well. Here’s a little more about who we are and how we do that.
Our Partners
Troy MacMillan
Chief Executive Officer
“Living well for me is related to experiences.
Happiness is spending time with my family, being there for my kids and experiencing life together. I’ve always been a big traveller, whether overseas or at my favourite spot in Dunsborough, so sharing travel experiences with those I love most means so much to me.
Part of living my best life is making sure I travel back to Japan as much as possible, particularly to Okinawa to immerse myself in the culture and eat my favourite food whilst karate training with my Sensei in his traditional dojo. This is when life hits the pause button for me, and I can reflect and acknowledge how truly grateful I am for my life.”
Stephen Kostarelas
Principal Wealth Adviser
“Living well means a real connection to my family, love, deep laughter, understanding, appreciation and curiosity.
It means taking the time out of work to spend time with the family down south and enjoying long days at the beach in the summer.
Living well also means always striving to learn something new each day, to help others and do so without any expectation of something in return.”
View Stephen’s Adviser Profile
Graeme Hyland
Head of Strategic Partnerships and Finance
“I had bypass surgery in 2019 and dodged a bullet. Now, living well is about being healthy, enjoying life and making the most of this second chance.
This means playing golf twice a week and enjoying a very nice glass of red wine.
I want to be there to watch my grandson Ben grow up, support my family and leave a legacy to my family, business and community.”
Our Management
Karen Pearce
Head of Office Operations
“Living well is having time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.
It’s having long bush walks, a meal with friends and enjoying a nice glass of wine at the end of the day.
It’s spending time with my family, having a comfortable home and ensuring my kids are happy and healthy.”
Pooja Nathoo
Head of Operations
“Living well is about living intentionally and prioritising what matters most to me – spending time with my family, coastal walks, enjoying good food, travelling and giving back through volunteering.
It’s prioritising daily self-care, so I can be the best version of myself for my loved ones and those around me.
It’s enjoying experiences with family and friends like holidays, family traditions, cultural events, new activities or eating together. In all moments, I want to be present and celebrate the little things with my husband and girls.
Living well is about never taking for granted my beautiful life here in Perth. I am mindful every day of the sacrifices made by my parents, who left Kenya to provide their children with a better future.
To live well, I also need to surround myself with people on a high energy frequency who bring me joy, wisdom and support for my growth journey.”
Our Wealth Advisers
Cara Graham
Principal Wealth Adviser
“Living well centres around my family, my home, my work, my love of travel and a desire to give back.
It’s about having time for what matters most – family, friends, fulfilment and fun.
It’s being able to support my daughters as they grow and develop, hoping to shape good humans who care for others and the world around them.
It’s being able to have long holidays to new and interesting locations as well as being able to have regular mini breaks down south, up north or to Rottnest, where I can visit wineries, enjoy nice restaurants, camp or hike.
It’s having a home that is clean and organised but still homely and comfortable, filled with photos of loved ones and mementoes from travels. It’s also having the money to maintain and improve my home when needed.
Workwise, it’s ensuring my career is stimulating and challenging and being part of a team where I can contribute and make a difference.
Living well is also about giving back to others in my life and in the community, whether that be training younger advisers, empowering women with their finances or volunteering for NFPs.”
Michelle Flanagan
Principal Wealth Adviser
“My goals are centred around creating a lifestyle that brings me happiness.
This includes renovating our house to make the kitchen the heart of our home. As an avid home cook, I can’t wait to knock down a wall and open up our living space with a dream kitchen renovation, so that we can take entertaining family and friends to another level.
It also means building financial security for retirement. I want to pay off our home loan as quickly as possible while also building wealth through investments and super and being able to enjoy life along the way.
In the future I’d love to be able to work part-time and spend more time with the people I love, who bring me the greatest joy.
Happiness for me also involves travel. I’m looking forward to taking a trip for my sister’s 50th birthday (which was squashed by Covid!), seeing the northern lights and more of Europe’s rich history, taking a cruise up to Alaska before the snow melts, visiting the Seychelles to discover my partner’s family history and seeing the Coral Coast of WA.”
View Michelle’s Adviser Profile
Robin Sandover
Principal Wealth Adviser
“The key to living your best life is spending time doing what you love, with the people you love. The simplest things bring the greatest joy.
Being a financial planner gives me the greatest sense of fulfilment as I am able to help others live their best lives, too.
For example, supporting clients to gain the financial freedom to stop working away and live closer to family without compromising quality of life, or helping couples reach retirement earlier than anticipated so they can travel the world.
In my downtime, living well includes spending quality time with friends and family, a life filled with travel (from snowboarding in Austria to a surf trip in Indonesia or simply a weekend down south) and maintaining a healthy body and mind through exercise. Favourite activities including skipping, surfing, badminton, rugby, bouldering and ultimate frisbee.”
Patrick Canion
Principal Wealth Adviser
“Living well is about dreaming big but keeping it real.
It’s about manifesting my values into every area of my life, so I can enjoy enhanced well-being.
This means things like spending time with my family whilst living across several continents, staying physically fit, and fostering intellectual curiosity. It’s a big world, and I love exploring it!
I believe that we are all connected in some manner, and I want my lifestyle to reflect this. The ingenuity and innovation of humanity should never be underestimated and it is exciting to see how our history is unfolding.
I’m now at the stage where my thoughts are turning to the legacy I will leave for my grandchildren. I hope it will be one of love, support and encouragement.”
View Patrick’s Adviser Profile
David Hatton
Senior Wealth Adviser
“Living well means having your own sense of freedom.
It’s the ability to help bring happiness to those who are most important to you. It’s having space for yourself and plenty of quality time – whatever you determine that to be. It’s having gratitude for what you have and who you have around you.
Living well is also having a purpose and things to look forward to. It’s making progress and moving ever forward, always inspired and excited about opportunities.”
Dawn Thomas
Senior Wealth Adviser
“I want to live each day with truth, purpose, honesty, strength and joy, in line with my values and constantly inspired.
To live well I need to have a strong sense of purpose. I am a heart-led adviser who finds joy and purpose seeing people flourish and become financially empowered in a safe and inclusive environment. I love helping more people become financially engaged with their futures and enjoy achieving their life goals.
Knowing how key financial empowerment is to living well, I am currently contributing to research on young people and the superannuation system.
I find strength in surviving every hockey game with my teammates on Team Awesome. I am inspired by the creativity, intelligence and resilience of watching the drag queens on RuPaul’s drag race every week. But most importantly, living well is being present with my family, whether it is a quiet bush walk in the hills, watching Marvel & DC films together, dancing to loud trance music while cooking up a messy storm or sharing food experiences with loved ones.”
Dana Gibbs
Senior Wealth Adviser
“Living well to me is saying YES to life’s experiences.
It’s about finding a balance in life and trying lots of new and different things. I love exploring our beautiful world, both here in Australia and overseas. Thailand is one of our family’s favourites.
Living well to me is also a life filled with fresh air. I love hikes, long walks, bike rides, beach days and picnics – and they’re even better when finished off with a vino or two at the end of the day.
It’s about creating a beautiful home and providing for my kids so they can have the same kind of childhood that I was so lucky to have. I love watching them learn and play without a care in the world. As well as living well today, I also want to set our family up for a good financial future.
In order to live well, I also need to be doing work that drives and inspires me. I enjoy helping others to set themselves up financially so they can spend time doing the things they love, with the people they love.”
Angelko Curkoski
Associate Adviser
“Living well is making sure my children grow up healthy and well-rounded, and having the time to watch them enjoy their hobbies like dance and football.
“It’s spending time socialising with family and friends and having the opportunity to travel overseas, where I can immerse myself in the local culture of other countries.
It’s also enjoying reading up on current affairs and keeping up to date with financial news.”
Heather Sharp
Associate Adviser
“Living well means spending as much time outdoors as possible.
“It’s going for long walks in the sunshine, to keep my mind and body healthy.
Living well also includes a home that is safe, bright, comfortable and has plenty of open space and fresh air. I look forward to exploring the world as it opens back up again.”
Joshua Chapman
Associate Adviser
“A good life is one where you have control over your future, the freedom to travel and the ability to do what makes you happy.
For me, this includes outdoor sporting activities such as playing football, snowboarding and hanging out with mates. Nobody wants to be held back by financial doubts and constant worry over making the right decision. When you have the freedom to live life exactly the way you want to live it, you know you are living well.”
Joshua Rendell
Associate Adviser
“I lead a fulfilling life by staying active and indulging in my greatest passions.
During the summer season, I find immense joy in freediving and snorkelling, with Rottnest Island holding a special place in my heart as one of my favourite destinations.
One of the greatest pleasures I experience is embarking on trips alongside my partner and our Australian Shepherd, Indie. We love to hike through Perth’s hills and venture down to Margaret River, where we immerse ourselves in the picturesque scenery and savour the offerings of local wineries.
For me, living well also entails maintaining my physical fitness through regular gym sessions, nurturing meaningful connections with friends over boardgames, and finding delight in the culinary arts through cooking and experimenting with flavours.”
Luis Casado
Associate Adviser
“Living well is being able to wake up each day and enjoy life, friendship and, most importantly, family.
I want to raise my three beautiful daughters to be humble, strong and great humans who will make a difference to society.
My goal is to create a life of happiness through financial freedom and a legacy for my children.
I also enjoy eating good food, enjoying the moment and being open to new and different experiences.”
Our Operations Team
Emma D’Arcy-Burke
Executive Assistant
“For me, living well centres around a healthy and happy family.
It’s a home filled with love, happiness and laughter, so my children grow up to achieve everything they desire.
It’s being able to offer my children opportunities to follow their passions, even if it means clocking many hours as ‘Mum’s taxi’!
It’s being able to enjoy regular date nights with my husband to ensure we stay connected and being able to enjoy plenty of ‘me’ time so I can be the best partner, Mum, family member and friend possible. This may include a quiet coffee, a relaxing massage or a catch up with friends.
It’s also important to me to have a job that I enjoy, as I like to feel valued and to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s learning to let go of the desire to make everything perfect and taking the time to enjoy all the little moments.”
Jason Cox
Paraplanning Manager
“Happiness is living well in whatever endeavour. It’s just being happy.
Aristotle said, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” I agree wholeheartedly with this.
While spirituality and personal growth help me to live well and happily, I also get huge pleasure from my interests, which include playing basketball and collecting sneakers.”
Michelle Nelson
Support Manager
“My goal is to live modestly and sustainably, and not be a drain on the planet.
I want the ability to travel without overwhelming debt levels and the freedom to work on my terms, not because there’s a mortgage to pay. I want to make the most of inner city living, with time to dine out and enjoy entertainment, while also going down south with my family to enjoy nature.
In my spare time, I hope to volunteer and give back to environmental causes to help our planet.”
Suzanne McMillan
Wealth Assistant
“For me, the essential components of living well are time, balance and patience.
It may sound simple, but all three are superpowers in the quest to live well.
Balance helps to ensure that you don’t overdo it. Time allows you to have realistic expectations about how long it may take to do something. And patience is the power to wait and understand.
My interests in pursuits like baking, aviation and v8 supercars all draw on these elements.
While we live in a world of instant outcomes, I find little joy from the now culture. I much prefer to slow down, stay present, maintain balance with a situation and exercise patience for a sense of true reward and accomplishment.”
Cindy Sumner
Wealth Assistant
“My version of Living Well is simple. It’s always family first.
I love spending quality time with my family and close friends.
Living well for me also involves caring for my rescue birds (in particular my flightless pink and grey galah) and dreaming of attending the AFL Grand Final in 2022 to watch the Fremantle Dockers triumph!”
Katie Johnson
Wealth Assistant
“Living well to me is being lucky enough to travel and experience what the world has to offer, whether it be admiring the beautiful scenery in Tasmania or going to a theme park and riding rollercoasters all day.
It’s taking my dog on long walks or heading to the dog park, then coming home and relaxing on the couch with a glass of wine and bad TV. It’s spending quality time with my family and friends, laughing, and making memories. And hopefully, one day, seeing the Dockers finally win a grand final!”
Our Investment Team
Abby MacNish
Head of Investment
“Living well for me is balancing a number of fulfilling roles in my professional life with my personal life.
Being able to spend time with my husband and our two children, as well as our extended family, drives my decisions. But I also relish time with my friends, many of whom I have known since childhood.
Working helps me to provide opportunities for my family, head out to favourite eating and drinking spots with friends and hopefully one day travel overseas again!
Giving back is also important to me. I volunteer on a charity board as I know how fortunate I am and want to show my children the power of community and giving.”
Michael Ron
Investment Analyst
“Living well includes spending time with my family and being able to travel around the world to experience different cultures and lifestyles.
It’s using my skills to increase my personal wealth from investments, which will allow me to achieve my financial goals sooner rather than later. This includes paying off my mortgage and providing a strong platform for me to be able to pass on to future generations.”
Clair Hayes
Investment Trader
“Time is the ultimate luxury. A life well lived is one where you have time to do the things you love and time to appreciate the small things.
For me, this includes spending time with my family, photographing nature, enjoying long walks at the beach, and being able to travel.
It’s also being able to cosy up with a good book and watching Nordic noir thrillers in my down time.”
And introducing our Investment Committees
Glen Holder and Nick Morton join Graeme Hyland, Abby Macnish and Michael Ron to make up our two specialised investment committees. Considered among Australia’s most experienced and revered specialists in SMAs and wholesale investments, these committees are the overarching decision makers behind our in-house investment team.