Welcome to another edition of Fast Five – our fortnightly series where we ask Victoria’s most influential and exceptional business leaders five questions to get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Australia’s most dynamic businesses.

Findex offers pragmatic, tailored and experienced advice to help achieve your business’s vision and financial goals.

In this edition we spoke to Findex Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Tony Roussos. Mr Roussos is responsible for business operations across the group’s locations in Australia and New Zealand.

#1: What challenges has Findex overcome post-pandemic, and how has it changed the way the organisation works?

One of the biggest challenges faced by all organisations when the pandemic hit was adapting to changes to how employees worked. Findex implemented an incredible dynamic working environment using the Findex Backpack which includes the necessary technology and support to enable all our employees to work from wherever they choose.

As the restrictions have been lifted, we have adopted this workstyle permanently and seen great benefits for our people. Not only do our people get to enjoy flexibility around their life and family commitments by designing the way they work to best suit their needs and those of their team and clients, but we can also recruit talent based on their skills rather than their location.

With the current talent shortages many businesses are facing, we have found our approach to dynamic working to be a compelling proposition when attracting talent. We also focus heavily on providing our people with opportunities to advance and explore their careers across service lines and locations through our Internal Talent Mobility program.

From FY21 to FY22, we more than doubled the number of internal moves across Findex by way of career transition or out-of-cycle promotion. This shows our employees that we value their career progression and want them to succeed in their goals, wherever it takes them.

#2: What are some of the key issues faced by businesses that you’re currently assisting clients navigate?

The pandemic forced businesses to adapt to an accelerated rate of change. What should have taken 10 years took two. So, for many businesses, the way they operated prior to the pandemic is no longer sustainable and we are seeing a lot of businesses having to adapt quickly and play catch-up.

On top of this, inflationary pressures are putting the squeeze on cashflow and interest rates, and the volatility in markets and economic conditions has left many businesses grappling with staff shortages, increasing cost of materials and delays with shipping. It’s a complex environment and if business owners don’t have the right expertise at the right time, these problems can quickly escalate.

Because we have such a wide variety of integrated financial services, we’re able to work with our business clients from a holistic point of view, pulling in the specialist expertise they need at different stages of their journey. Our wealth management and investment expertise also allow us to work with business clients to help them build personal wealth on their business journey.

#3: What services does Findex provide for commercial clients and what is your method or philosophy to achieving the best outcomes for them?

Findex is the only financial services organisation that offers an integrated wealth and accounting model. If you think about it, the accountant and the financial planner are the two major pillars to creating and sustaining long-term business success and personal wealth.

We bring them together so that our clients’ situations are being looked at holistically and not in isolation. This not only streamlines the service experience for clients but ultimately leads to better outcomes both personally and professionally.

A great example of this is a client who owns and operates 11 McDonald’s franchises. Over the course of the years that we’ve been working with them, we’ve guided them on their journey to growing a small franchise empire.

At the same time, we’ve helped them extract the value they’ve built in their business to build a diversified investment portfolio that will help set themselves up for a life beyond the famed golden arches.

#4: What post-pandemic financial or reputational opportunities exist for business? Are consumers increasingly looking to local products or ESG-focused enterprises?

The pandemic really brought to life the necessity to support our local communities and to support businesses that are actively looking for ways to benefit society and the planet.

More than ever, consumer demand shows investors, clients, employees and the public have a growing expectation for businesses to deliver value in a way that responds to society’s needs, values and issues, particularly at how a business is integrating sustainability and inclusion.

There have been many studies that show a business embracing a sustainability and social strategy can lead to business growth and if done right, can lead to a competitive advantage for the company.

With more than 100 offices across metropolitan, regional and rural areas, Findex has a real emphasis on impacting our communities in a way that leaves them better for having known us. This is outlined in our sustainability strategy, it’s showcased in the work we do with the Findex Community Fund, and it’s integrated into the way we work with our clients on a day-to-day basis.

Changing our business’ relationship to the environment, better managing our relationships internally and externally, implementing policies that empower our people, and setting not only standards but ambitions for Findex to meet, all build trust within communities, employees and customers.

#5: What is the Findex Community Fund and are there any other local initiatives you’re currently involved with?

The Findex Community Fund (FCF) has been built to create equal access to opportunity for people isolated by location or circumstance, through programs which are regionally relevant, nationally impactful and globally scalable. FCF have a range of initiatives to create this impact in three key areas: health, entrepreneurship, and education.

Through our Workplace Giving initiative, we encourage our people to donate to over 400 charities, in which we match those contributions through the FCF. With more than 100 Findex offices widely dispersed across Australia and New Zealand, we aspire for the Findex Community Fund’s charitable footprint to match our geographical reach.

Other initiatives include our Young Money strategy which aims to educate young people on financial literacy, and our Sustainability Strategy which outlines exactly how we currently do and will continue to do right by people and the planet, ensuring that what we do today helps create a better world for tomorrow.