COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED
COU - CEO Profile, Marianne Perkovic
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00PM
Marianne Perkovic
Mon, 29 Sep 2008
12:00PM Australia/NSW
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 INDIA EQUITIES FUND LIMITED
(INE)
|
India Equities May Investment Report Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:00AM |
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| INDIA EQUITIES FUND LIMITED (INE) |
EGM Computershare Conference Centre, Yarra Falls, 452 Johnston St, Abbotsford, VIC
Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:30PM 01:30PM Australia/Victoria |
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COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED (COU)
ASX code: COU
Website: http://www.count.com.au
Industry: Diversified Financials
Principal Activities:
Financial Services
Address:
1 Alfred Street, Gold Fields House, Level 19,
SYDNEY
NSW
Phone: (02) 8272 0200
Fax: (02) 9241 7342
Executives & Directors
Mr Barry M Lambert , Executive Chairman
Ms Marianne Perkovic , CEO, Executive Director
Mr Noel Davis, LLB , Director
Ms Joycelyn Morton , Director
Mr Andrew W Geddes , Non Exec. Director
Mr Alden J Halse , Non Exec. Director
Ms Rachel Griffith , Company Secretary
Ms Caress Andrews , Assist.Co. Secretary
Company Podcasts
Company ASX Announcements
Company ASX announcements can be viewed on the ASX website.
Announcements from the preceding six months are shown below.
Please refer to the relevant stock exchange if any of the above information is incorrect
COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED (COU) Events
Australia/NSW
COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED (COU)
| COU - Net Profit Guidance | Fri, 3 Jul 2009 |
| Appendix 3B | Thu, 2 Jul 2009 |
| Cleansing notice | Thu, 2 Jul 2009 |
| Countplus makes 10th acquisition and first Sydney firm | Wed, 1 Jul 2009 |
| Cancellation of unlisted options | Fri, 26 Jun 2009 |
| Appendix 3B | Fri, 19 Jun 2009 |
| Change in substantial holding for MOC | Mon, 15 Jun 2009 |
| Appendix 3B | Tue, 12 May 2009 |
| Appendix 3B - amended | Tue, 12 May 2009 |
| COU - Annual Conference Announcements | Mon, 4 May 2009 |
Please note: This company appears on this website as a result of its listing on the Australian Securities Exchange. Boardroom Radio does not claim any association with any company listed on this site.
MARIANNE PERKOVIC, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF COUNT FINANCIAL LIMITED (COU)
“CEO Profile”
http://www.brr.com.au/event/51809
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2008, 12:00 PM.
BRR Today on Boardroom Radio speaks with Ms. Marianne Perkovic, Chief Executive Officer of Count Financial, to find a little bit more about the face
10 behind the firm.
Marianne, can you start by telling us a bit about your professional background and how you came to Count Financial.
COU Yes, but I guess, before I start about talking how I came to Count, I might just
15 give a brief about what led me to this industry, because I’m really passionate not just about this business, but actually the whole financial services industry. So, really it goes back to when I was in year 12 and I was the school captain of the school that I was at and in that role, I actually got to meet, who was the Treasurer of our country then and became Prime Minister later on, Paul
20 Keating, and in it my brief introduction of meeting him, he actually talked to me about superannuation, and being you know, a school kid, I just knew nothing about the term. I could say that he was actually quite motivated and passionate about it and then talked about how this is going to be, a really great growth for, not just for the Australians but also help with our Retirement
25 Savings Gap. Then from that I just started to do a bit of research on superannuation and it was, yes, many years ago so before you know, we had that great tools that we have today, spent a lot of time in libraries and looking through parliamentary documents and then when I, sort of, really understood what it was about, to me that actually led me to decide to have a degree in
30 superannuation at that time, we’re coming into financial services.
So when I did my degree I actually got a job, with a Fund Manager and then I became a Superannuation Consultant, then while I was there, sort of, there for about four-and-a-half years, so then you know, still really passionately
35 believed about financial services that I then thought was (inaudible) is just one part of this whole big, sort of, wealth creation process and then from there decided that to actually make a bigger impact to change you know, sort of, legislation and improve things that I could then possibly go to work in a dealer group and you know be in a place that there was a lot more people
40 now accessing not just the financial services but accessing advice and the whole advice process. So, in my role that I had, I had accessed to lots of different companies, and I just really believed in, sort of, the business model of Count and we have a founder, he’s called Barry Lambert, and I had the opportunity to hear him speak a couple of times, then I really thought sort of
45 what he had said in the business model that he created having sort of independent place where people could go and get advice, actually really resonated well for me and so then I actually came across and work for Count. Originally my view was to work in the business for about five years, learn all I needed to know about financial planning, and then became a financial planner and I’ve now been in Count for 10 years, and it that process, it just opened my eyes up to have for me to understand what it was that I was passionate about and it was about creating wealth and it was about, you know, an opportunity for just consumers to get, you know, go to a place
5 where they could get, you know, really a great independent best practice advice and then I thought the better place to do that would be to, you know, run a dealer group such as Count rather than become a financial planner for me. So that was actually what sort of started and led me to come to Count and then in the process of learning and trying to become a financial planner, I
10 actually learned about the business and took an interest in what the business was doing, how the business was operating. Then pretty soon, sort of, about three-and-a-half years into working at Count, learned as much about the business that I could and so when the opportunity came up to run the business -- then I was very lucky that I was given the opportunity to --
15 because all of a sudden, I knew a lot about the business just through the process of what my original goal was.
BRR Now, outside of work…
COU Yes.
20
BRR …busy schedule, what do you enjoy doing and what’s an average week look like?
COU Yes, so I really, because I love what I do, it’s actually -- and most people that love what they do find it very difficult to stop, sort of, working and stop
25 thinking and that was the biggest challenge that I have. But also I have young family so I’ve got, you know, two daughters aged 3 and just 7 months. So for me, it’s really hectic juggling the work and the commitments that I have here and also in my home life, so most of my time outside of Count is actually spent with my family and enjoying them and also spending time focusing a
30 really bit of my health, too, which is really important, so really just like to get out and about, and you know, but most of the time (inaudible) with my family.
BRR Being a professional and a mother, what are some of the major challenges that you have to face to take this in balance?
35 COU Yes, I think the main part of it is actually being and taking care of the responsibilities that you have at home. In our situation that we have on the home front, my husband stays at home and that was, because for us, it was very important to have one parent, you know, raising our family and he just waked up that he was better at doing that then what I am. So that actually
40 then means that when I am home, like I am, just “I am mom” and I’ve got to do the work that happens and progresses, so I think the most challenging and difficult thing is really appreciate that it’s hard work being at home and so I try to do a lot more. So for me coming at home, when I soon as I get through the door and take my husband a break, and I take over. So probably the main
45 challenging thing is just trying to find time to just you know, de-stress and have time for yourself. But you know I’ve got a young family and I know that’s not going to be that way all the time, so as I grow, you know and certainly things will change there. But I think just the main challenge is being there in front of your team if it’s at work and being available to everybody and to your clients and making sure that they’re happy and then also on the home front just making sure that my family is happy, too, and then I’m pulling my weight there at home.
5 BRR Now, along the way, is there a piece of advice that you’ve been given that resonates particularly strong way with you?
COU Yes, look I think, a lot of people always just sort of say be the best that you can and that’s all I’ve ever really approached anything at work. So you know whether it was a decision that I had to make, whether it was a presentation
10 that I had to give, whether it was coaching that I had to do, like, I always make sure that I’m always comfortable with the content, comfortable with the information so that I could be the best that I possibly could be, so for me that was really important, part of that. Then secondly, I guess the advice is, you know, working in an industry where a lot have accessed to information and I
15 just didn’t want to be I guess that you know, like a plumber with you know, plumbers got leaky taps at home or that painter, his house is never painted. I didn’t want to be financial services industry worker and not have my financial planning in order. So that was one of the main things that I wanted to be in order so that I could give advice and could advocate to people of being, you
20 know, wealth creation that they needed but also the wealth protection that they needed, because you know, I was doing that myself, so that’s really important and I don’t want to talk about things that people should do if I’m not going to do it with myself, so that was really important.
25 BRR Absolutely, now being a Chief Executive and a mother, what piece of advice that you could pass on to other women that might be aspiring to reach a similar position that you’ve successfully done?
COU Yes, I think the biggest piece of advice is, you know, whether it’s just women, women just try to be all things to all people and you just have to accept that
30 you know. If you work you know, you’d be committed at work and then when you’re at home, the time that you have at home is very precious and use that time valuable, so you know, it’s obviously the quality of time not the quantity and you can always be misled or get disappointed about not having enough time with your family that that quality is most important. So, you know when
35 I’m there, it is focusing on them and focusing on my family, so that when I’m at work in our focus, and make sure that my focus there is on work. But it is you know, it’s really tough and I think anyone has any challenges but the most important thing is to just be really happy and actually have you know, confidence in yourself and know that can -- you know, can do a great job and
40 be the best that you can. But it’s going to take work and you know you’ve got to put the commitment into yourself on your professional side of things but also have the support and a great supporting network on your home life.
BRR Now, it sounds like the introduction you had with Paul Keating when you’re
45 younger was left quite a big impression on you?
COU Yes.
BRR Since that, do you have a career highlight, that achievement that particularly sticks with you?
COU Yes, well I guess, yes, I guess for me and certainly being part of Count and running Count, and watching it grow from you know, what it was a small company to being publicly listed; and then the growth that we have had over that period of time. You know couple of key milestones you know is obviously
5 adding, you know, some new products and services and changing the dynamics that we’ve had within the business; and taking it from you know it’s something that was worth at one stage, you know, a 100 million to certainly market conditions at the moment changed that market capitalisation that you know, moving it across to a company that’s 500 million. So for me that – you
10 know those achievements, not so much the dollar turn, but the opportunities that it creates to people are more milestones than anything else that I think I would do because it’s not just about creating wealth from myself, it’s about creating a business that creates wealth for a lot more people. So at our annual general meetings and when we have our shareholders that come on
15 and give, you know, tell stories about the dividend payments and what a difference they’ve made and you know and what a difference it’s made to have Count as an investment, like that really motivates me. Now when I talk to our franchisees and they tell stories about how they’ve helped their clients create wealth like that is what actually really motivates me knowing that, you
20 know, our business operates to help that and help the Australians sort of afford big dreams and help give them advice, so that relates more to me than actual monetary or milestone achievements for the business and so that’s really when I come in everyday to do and along the way, you know, it really happens and obviously have a great team to support all of that network.
25
BRR Outside of your professional career?
COU Yes, that’s a pretty interesting question, I guess, I already love what I do so I don’t think about my life outside of possibly the business that I’m working at now because I’m happy and I don’t think that If I wasn’t ever happy then I’d
30 look to find something that will make me happy. But if I then answered in a way, if I had more time, for it if I have more time, it would be a great opportunity to probably spend more time in things that I like doing which is sort of making people happy and seeing results. So probably more in the charitable area and sort of focusing on trying to help, you know, that whether
35 is that industry which is you know, a little bit inefficient or helping, you know, the end beneficiaries of some of the charities and that would actually (inaudible) a really great personal contribution that I think that I could make but also give me a bit more satisfaction as well.
40 BRR I think, there’s a probably a number of charitable organizations there who would be more than happy to have you part of their team and thank you very much for taking the time to speaking with us today.
COU Yes, thanks James.
INTERVIEW CONCLUDED
Contact brr@brr.com.au for more information
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