Ask anyone from Invest Blue what it’s like to work there and you’re likely to hear the same adjectives time and time again. Words like ‘supportive’, ‘passionate’, ‘dedicated’ and ‘fun’ come up a lot. Invest Blue is a dynamic business and a growing one too.

Given that Invest Blue place such an emphasis on finding the right staff and on retaining those great people long-term, we thought it was time to put the spotlight on the Tamworth team.

Steve Sewell

‘Sewelly’ has been at Invest Blue since 1999. Over the years, he has cemented terrific working relationships with his clients. He continues to thoroughly enjoy the interaction with the very long-term clients and the newer ones too and in taking the journey together to achieve wonderful goals.

In reflecting on his many years with the company, it is the people of Invest Blue that make him the proudest.

“We started with six of us in one office. Seeing how we’ve grown is a true testament to having attracted and retained the best people in the business. We’re all on the same page in striving to achieve our business goals. Our core values allow us to have a common cause. And of course, we have fun along the way too!”

Speaking of fun, while everyone works hard at Invest Blue, they also like to celebrate their achievements and are happy to share their lighter side. Here are a few things you may not know about Steve; his ideal Sunday starts with a cooked brekky with the family, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Steve’s after laughter in each and every day and appreciates those with a wicked sense of humour. Garlic bread, fettuccini carbonara and some nice Shiraz on the side would be his last chosen meal on earth. And hand him the microphone on Karaoke night at the pub and you’re likely to hear a rendition of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis.

Rob Pollard

Rob Pollard may have started in the business as an accountant five years ago but when he moved into financial planning, he never looked back. One of the things Rob loves most about his role is helping people. In addition to the planning side of things, he’s also Office Manager which involves guiding the team and providing support to them.

Given how people-orientated both roles are, it’s a good thing he didn’t stick to the career he aspired to as a kid…helicopter pilots don’t get much of a chance to chat!

Rob says Invest Blue is the first job he’s ever held where everyone is encouraged to achieve and is supported in their personal development. It’s not surprising then that ‘supportive’ tops the list when asked to describe the company in just a few words. ‘Innovative’ and ‘fun’ round out the top three.

Should he strike it lucky one day and win or inherit five million dollars, Rob would get the sensible stuff out of the way first (clear debt, make maximum super contributions and buy a house for each of his children) but then he’d be off, travelling the world with his family or burning rubber through India on a BMW motorbike.

Time in New York, chilling out in the Greek Islands and adventures through Europe would also be on Rob’s hit list. He’d no doubt have some tales to tell from his many travels. Fortunately, he could include them all in his autobiography, ‘Poll Dancing Through Life.’

Luke Warren

Luke’s a newer member of the Invest Blue team, sort of. He was with Invest Blue as a paraplanner in 2008 and 2009 before working for several years as a lawyer – returning to the fold in January last year.

Luke values the company’s focus on workplace culture. With so much time spent with one’s work family, the motto is “life’s short, work somewhere awesome”, he says. Luke finds that such a thriving and cohesive workplace flows on to benefit others. To Luke, that enjoyment is infectious, and the hope is for clients to be a part of that too.

Luke believes that being in a regional area comes with a greater level of responsibility in that you’re dealing with friends, family and people you know locally. This puts into perspective the importance of the work and reflects the tremendous trust the community place in the experts at Invest Blue.

Of course, Luke offers clients expert advice, but he also admits to an innate ability to remember truly useless facts. And while on the topic of useless facts, his favourite dance floor move is the worm. Other quirks include being a stickler for grammar.

And if friends had to compare him to an animal, it would the Butcherbird, known for their broad vocal repertoire. By his own admission, Luke never shuts up. He’d probably be quiet though shark diving in South Africa which he’d love to do. Although there is that saying about still being able to talk underwater…

Adam Penman

Adam joined the Invest Blue family late in 2016 and loves working with such a motivated group of people, passionate about financial planning. When asked what sets Invest Blue apart, he says the commitment to understanding clients and providing relevant, tailored advice to help them live their best possible life.

“Invest Blue have a deep relationship with their clients and embrace being able to share in the ups and down that clients have during their life journey,” he says.

Adam’s professional goals are to have a client base of 200 elated, committed clients and for the Tamworth office to be a leading office within Invest Blue.

Away from the Tamworth office where he is based full-time, (Steve, Rob and Luke move between the Tamworth and Armidale offices) Adam may well be found sitting with Fox Sports on repeat. He has two dogs who have decided Adam’s partner is their favourite in the household. And when asked to pick a piece of art, song, film or book to claim as his own, Adam answers like a wise financial planner should – citing the best-selling series of all time about a bespectacled child wizard named Harry.

Rebecca O’Neill

Rebecca is the team’s second newest member, having come on board in June 2017 as a Client Support Manager. As she was the only woman in the mix before Anna joined the team, Rebecca has the advantage of always knowing what’s going on with every sport under the sun. It also happens to be one of the real frustrations of working with all boys!

Rebecca is the first point of call for clients of the Tamworth office and as a self-described, ‘people-person’, this suits her beautifully.

“I enjoy working with every single client and to watch them live their best lives with your help is an incredible feeling.”

Even as a recent addition to the team, Rebecca’s already a remarkable advocate for all that Invest Blue stand for. When posed with the question, ‘why would someone want to work with Invest Blue’, she says,

“why would you NOT want to work with Invest Blue? Coming to work every day in such a supportive environment is honestly a gift. It feels as though you’re with family. To have that within the company you work for is amazing.”

And what about her family away from the workplace? Rebecca has a three-year-old daughter whose brutal honesty, often at the most inappropriate times, always makes her laugh. When her little one is tucked up in bed, Rebecca could well be found binge-watching Game of Thrones.

And while Rebecca is very proud to be part of the client experience in reaching goals, what about her own big plans? One day she’d love to take her daughter to Disneyland. Far less tame but on the to-do list nonetheless is Rebecca’s hope to conquer her immense fear of sharks by swimming with them!

Anna Newell

Anna is the most recent addition to the Tamworth IB family, only starting this week as a Client Support Manager. Having grown up in Tamworth, moved away to Newcastle for university and travelled abroad for a further four years, Anna is quite excited to be home.

She is most excited to be working with Invest Blue as she can already see that we are passionate about helping our clients and can see that the work we do really does help. Prior to working with us, Anna combined her love of travel and passion for helping people as a travel agent. With her youngest about to start school, now was the perfect time to jump back into the career she loves, having started off in the banking industry.

Anna loves to escape back down to Newcastle throughout the year to catch up with friends, go to the beach and drink great coffee. But she loves, even more, to be home in Tamworth with her husband and two young kids, without the humidity of the coast! Next big plans for Anna? To finish renovating the family home and to travel some more, this time with the whole family tagging along!

For more information about the team, visit the Invest Blue Tamworth page.

What you need to know

This information is provided by Invest Blue Pty Ltd (ABN 91 100 874 744). The information contained in this article is of general nature only and does not take into account the objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular person. Therefore, before making any decision, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice with regards to those matters and seek personal financial, tax and/or legal advice prior to acting on this information. Read our Financial Services Guide for information about our services, including the fees and other benefits that AMP companies and their representatives may receive in relations to products and services provided to you.