High-profile appointment and departure for SMSFA board
The SMSF Association has appointed a well-known SMSF professional and personality to its board, replacing the outgoing former chair Andrew Gale.
Liam Shorte from Verante Financial Planning has been appointed to the board and will replace Andrew Gale who is stepping down after being a board member since 2012, including chairman for two years between February 2016 and 2018.
Mr Shorte has chaired the Association’s NSW Local Community since 2015 and is a member of the Magnitude Advisory Committee, will join the board on 1 September 2018.
He has a Bachelor of Business majoring in accounting and economics and 27 years of experience in financial services, working in Ireland, the UK and the Middle East before moving to Australia in 2001. His experience and knowledge comes from working in banking, insurance, accounting and financial planning firms before starting his own business in 2006.
SMSF Association chairperson Professor Deborah Ralston said it was a carefully considered choice to appoint Liam.
“His practical knowledge of the sector derived over many years from dealing directly with clients will be of enormous value to the Board, the Association, and the wider SMSF community,” said Ms Ralston.
“Liam has established a deserved reputation as an expert in this field,” she added.
Ms Ralston also thanked Mr Gale for his contribution to the Association over the past six years.
“Andrew’s lead as a strong and effective chairman of the board, his contribution to strategic thinking for the Association, oversight of a smooth chief executive succession, and service through the Public Policy Committee has been highly appreciated,” she said.
Mr Shorte said he was delighted to join the Association’s board.
"This is something I've wanted to do. We are going through a period of change and I want to be involved,” he told SMSF Adviser.
"It's good to have the practitioner's viewpoint there, to make sure they are heard clearly"
Mr Shorte confirmed that his current role as principal of Verante Financial Planning will remain unchanged.
The move has been in the works for about two months.
Miranda Brownlee
Miranda Brownlee is the deputy editor of SMSF Adviser, which is the leading source of news, strategy and educational content for professionals working in the SMSF sector.
Since joining the team in 2014, Miranda has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest superannuation stories in Australia, and has reported extensively on technical strategy and legislative updates.
Miranda also has broad business and financial services reporting experience, having written for titles including Investor Daily, ifa and Accountants Daily.
