The evolution of Integrated Advice in Professional Planner.

The genesis of a journey.

It’s Nov 2019. Simon Hoyle of CoreData is sitting down with our founder, Paul Kearney, in our old Abbotsford offices. The boardroom walls are plastered “with a deconstruction of the financial advice process, its multiple steps, and their relationships to each other”.  Simon is in for an interview. He’s got wind that Kearney Group is about to upend our organisational structure and overhaul our advice model.

The boardroom wall, covered in process maps, has captured his attention. He says:

“At first glance, it’s difficult to tell whether it’s a work of a genius or a fully fledged conspiracy theorist. But closer examination reveals it as part of a fundamental reimagining of how an advice firm could be organised to deliver its services.

Its aim is to start the process of reorientating the advice business so the client is served by internal teams of professionals bringing different perspectives and expertise to bear. It’s more than just a “multi-disciplinary” approach; it aims to overcome the issue of a client being handed around from professional to professional within the firm, and to instead deliver a service to the client that transcends the various professional boundaries of the individuals inside the business…”

Simon has just witnessed the genesis of our journey toward Truly Integrated Advice—a paradigm shift, reshaping how we deliver our services.

From idea to reality.

Fast forward to April 2024, and the landscape of Kearney Group has been transformed. Our Integrated Advice Teams are now in full swing. And so, Simon and Paul reunite to reflect on the lessons learned and what’s been achieved since their pivotal meeting in 2019. 

In today’s article for Professional Planner, Simon delves into the evolution of Integrated Advice, heterarchy, collaboration, process engineering and natural systems.

A look back at a leap forward.

Five years on, Simon’s initial question—”Can deconstructing advice improve the client experience?”—echoes with a resounding “yes.” Integrated financial advice has not only improved client outcomes and satisfaction. It’s also redefining what it means to be a advice professional as well.

Click through to read Simon’s insightful piece, “Playing with the boundaries of financial advice”. Witness the narrative thread weaving together the past, present, and future of Kearney Group—a story of innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to redefining financial services.