In the mid 1860s, a group of men in Ireland stood up for their rights, their values, their independence. The British authorities didn’t like it and sent them to prison in one of the most remote parts of the world; Fremantle prison, Australia.From there they planned the greatest escape in Australian history. In 1876, independence came in the shape of a whale ship called ‘Catalpa’.And it’s the inspiration for our AFSL, Catalpa, which is enabling independent advice. Our advisers do not receive any insurance commissions or any gifts or benefits from product providers. We have no associations with product providers, and we have no restrictions on the products we can recommend. Like the group in Ireland all those years ago, we value our freedom and independence. Our business model is simple.Our principal advisers are self-employed business owners with the majority stake in their professional practices. Catalpa takes a minority non-controlling stake in the member practice, providing capital and expertise as growth partners with a long-term perspective.Our member practices share support services at cost.We are a community that shares our experience as growth partners. We have a track record of quickly establishing highly successful professional practices from scratch.We specialise in partnering with ex-institutional advisers in start-up practices. We help them identify the characteristics of their ideal client, the messages that resonate, define a client value proposition, design service offers and devise business development and go-to-market strategies that work.Catalpa … because excellence comes from choosing your own adventure.

StatePlus, formerly State Super Financial Services, underwent a rebrand in 2015 to focus on delivering an even better experience to our clients while we prepare for the future and make sure we move with the times. I am passionate about providing solutions to my clients' needs and building long lasting relationships in order to help them achieve, and keep on achieving, financial security.