Our Board
Philip Kelly, Chairman
Philip has been Chairman of Centric Wealth since March 2009.
Philip has over 35 years experience in the Australian financial services industry, primarily in private equity and institutional investment management, retirement fund administration and retail financial advisory services.
He has been chairman or a director of a number of public and private companies in financial planning, software, tourism and funds management, as well as resources and manufacturing. He was Executive Chairman of ASX-listed financial services firm, Snowball Group Ltd, from 1999-2003.
Philip is also a director of the services sector peak body, Australian Services Roundtable Ltd, and has previously been Deputy Chairman of the Australian Government's Industry Research and Development Board.
In recent years, Philip has undertaken strategic consulting projects for a number of major organisations in the wealth management sector.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Member of the Australian Institute of Management and received his B.A. (Hons) (Econ) from University of Sydney and M.B.A. (Distinction) from IMI (University of Geneva).
John McMurdo, Chief Executive Officer
John commenced as Chief Executive Officer, Centric Wealth in March 2010.
He has 24 years wealth management and banking experience including senior roles in both Australia and New Zealand, notably with AMP, Hillross, National Australia Bank and Bank of New Zealand. His professional background is in finance, marketing and strategy. He has built a reputation over the last decade for leading and substantially growing businesses.
Prior to joining Centric, John spent three years as Managing Director, Hillross Financial Services, where he oversaw strong growth in all key metrics against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. Before Hillross, he led a near doubling of AMP’s New Zealand life insurance business over a four year term.
John holds a Masters in Business Administration from Henley Management College, UK
David Jones, Non Executive Director
David joined CHAMP in 2002. He has spent the last fifteen years in the private equity industry, and was previously in management consulting, investment banking and general management. David began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company in Australia and New Zealand. He left McKinsey to take the role of General Manager of Butterfields Cheese Factors, of the King Island Dairies group.
Since 1994 David has worked in the private equity business in Australia and the USA. He spent four years with Macquarie Direct Investment in Sydney and one year at BancBoston Capital in Boston. In 1999 he founded and led the development of UBS Capital's Australian and New Zealand business.
David holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He is currently a Director of Global Sources Limited (NASDAQ), Centric Wealth Advisors Limited and The Beacon Foundation, and in 2007 he was Chairman of the Australian Venture Capital Association Limited (AVCAL).
Geoff Scott, Finance Director
Geoff has 40 years of experience across a broad range of roles in financial services, investment and resources, both domestically and internationally. He has had senior financial, investment and strategy roles in leading organisations such as AMP, Prudential UK, MLC, National Mutual and Exxon Corporation.
As well as being a member of the Board, he has executive responsibility for the Finance, Information Technology, Legal and Compliance, Company Secretary and Facilities functions.
Geoff holds degrees in Commerce and a Master of Business Administration as well as memberships of key professional accounting, company director and Financial Services Institute bodies.
Howard Morgan, Non Executive Director
Howard D. Morgan is Senior Managing Director of Castle Harlan, which he joined in 1996. From 2000 to 2002, he was Executive Director of CHAMP Private Equity, an affiliate of Castle Harlan in Sydney, Australia. He has been a Director and Executive Committee member of CHAMP since its inception. Previously, Mr. Morgan was a Partner at Ropart Asset Management, a private equity investment firm.
Howard began his career at Allen & Company, Inc. He is a board member of CHAMP, Alleasing Pty Limited and Ciao Bella Gelato Company. He is a former director of over a dozen companies, including US-based AmeriCast Technologies, Ion Track Instruments, Land ‘N' Sea Distributing, UK-based Polypipe Global Holdings and Australia-based Austar United Communications Ltd. and Penrice Soda Products. He is a director of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association, the Harvard Business School Club of New York, the Alexander Hamilton Institute, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and Treasurer of the Friends of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research.
Howard received his BA from Hamilton College in Mathematics and Political Science and his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Joel Thickins, Non Executive Director
Joel Thickins joined CHAMP in 2008. Prior to this, he worked as a Vice President at Dyno Nobel Limited leading acquisitions in China, Europe, and North America. He previously held strategic and operational positions with Boral Limited in Atlanta, Georgia.
Joel received his MBA from Melbourne Business School and his B.Com. (Hons) from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Chris Cuffe, Non Executive Director
Chris Cuffe has over 20 years experience in funds management. He is an executive of non profit group Social Ventures Australia (SVA) as well as a director of a number of organisations including Third Link Investment Managers (manger of Third Link Growth Fund), UniSuper (one of the largest industry superannuation funds in Australia), WAM Active (a listed investment company) and Arkx Investment Management (a funds management company specialising in carbon reduction investments). He joined SVA after spending 20 years building successful wealth management practices at Colonial First State Investments and Challenger Financial Services Group.
Chris Cuffe is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, a Fellow of the Financial Institute of Australasia and a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors. In 2007, he received the Australian Fund Manager's ABN Amro Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to the investment management industry.