Zacary Leeson

It is fair to say that most people growing up don’t long to be a financial planner. Growing up in the small town of Waroona, I hadn’t even heard of the profession. My days were more concerned with friends, holidays and if I was ever going to be a famous AFL footballer. I wasn’t by the way.

It was not until I reached the end of high school where I was confronted with the more serious questions from my folks: What are you going to do with your life? Do you have a plan? My parents had worked hard to raise me, and I had never gone without, but I had no answers for them. What I did know was that I liked sport and numbers, so why not complete a degree in Sports Science and Commerce to get the best of both worlds? What I did not account for was stumbling into a whole new one.

I could never have imagined meeting so many people from different cultures, who held different values and led different lifestyles. It was hard to comprehend how some people were spending their summers travelling Europe while others worked around the clock to make ends meet. During this time I developed such an appreciation for the value of money but also an understanding that everyone had their own path to follow. For me, I wanted security and the ability to provide for my future family and of course to retire at the age of 30.

I think this ultimate realisation is what drew me to financial planning, well that and a gentle nudge from my close friend and now colleague Rachel Blake. I consider myself very lucky and very privileged to work alongside like-minded passionate people who thrive on guiding people through their financial life. As for retiring at age 30… that may have been somewhat overzealous.

Zac is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional (CFP®) and a member of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). Zac has a double Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Science and a Diploma of Financial Planning.