“The Times They Are A-Changin” by Merrick Shipp

I am delighted to be able to tell you that Chris and Selena Launer have now taken over full control of Pinnacle Wealth Management as sole owners and Principals, as well as continuing to hold an interest in Pinnacle Accounting Solutions along with Gary Matheson. This change of leadership realises a long-held Succession Plan for the Practice to ensure there would be continuity of a committed leadership team who have grown from within, and who continue to hold a cultural alignment with Pinnacle’s work-place practices and service ethos, that is, of placing ‘Client interests first, second and always’.

It has been a little over 18 years since Pinnacle Wealth Management began its journey when Selena Launer and myself led the demerger of financial planning from the Deloitte global accounting group, with Chris Launer joining the Practice 12 years ago. Together, we have established our own Australian Financial Services Licence, grown business volume 5-fold, commenced an Accounting Practice, laid the foundation through robust Practice systems and procedures to manage an expanded Advisor presence, and continue to be recognised by our Peers as Practitioners who will not be deflected from our own cultural values and work standards.

Throughout this period of change and development, we have been fortunate to have retained a loyal and committed staff who have all contributed to the Practice’s success, much of this due to Selena’s Practice Manager skills and Chris’s natural inclusive ability to take his staff and clients on the journey with him.

As a now former Principal and having worked with and known both for 20 years, I am very confident in Chris and Selena’s ability to take the Practice  forward to the next stage of development and wish them both every success for the future.

For my part, I am not retiring just yet, but recognise that time does march on and a gradual slowdown makes a lot of sense. Afterall, as a financial planning and accounting Practice, it should be expected that we would navigate our way to a successful succession plan. Happily, that is the case for Pinnacle.

Interestingly, my wife Pam has already endorsed Chris as her future Financial Advisor in the event I am advising clients in the next world!

Lookout Chris!

Best wishes to you all.

Merrick Shipp