Corporate Profile
John Birt is Principal of Radar Results.
John provides advice to financial planning and accounting practices that wish to expand by acquisition. Radar markets to over 13,000 financial planners and 4,000 accountants Australia-wide.
With a background in banking and accountancy, John Birt has been involved in the financial industry for over 26 years. Since completing Deakin University's Diploma of Financial Planning in 1994, John has been associated with accountants and financial planners in many roles.
John was tutored by one of Australia’s leading business coaches between 1995 and 2002. This 7 year learning curve has allowed John to focus his knowledge on helping similar businesses grow and expand – often through acquisition.
John has extensive experience coordinating and presenting seminars. He regularly writes for research groups and magazines. He was the financial columnist for The Newcastle Star Newspaper during the late 1980s.
From 1990-1993 John was head of Deloitte financial planning for the Northern region, based in Newcastle. During this period his team was the Count Financial Group’s largest national planning practice. After moving to another large accountancy practice in 1994, John saw business coaching and advisory services to planners as his “sea change”.
In 1995 John won SECURITOR Financial Group's "National Advisor of the Year" Award. This award recognised his professionalism, quality of service and business development expertise. After eight years with SECURITOR John moved to Business Coaching, which involved helping financial planners sell their businesses.
After attending Sealcorp’s Boot Camp Conference in 1996, John was able to develop his own unique and proven business strategies which have been applied to other professional firms.
John has formed a number of joint venture financial planning practices and introduced his processes and systems into these businesses. Today several of these businesses have seen significant growth, primarily due to John’s experience.
Michele Conroy is Operations Manager of Radar Results
Michele Conroy has been a part of Radar since 2005 and is the Manager of Operations. Michele liaises with Associates Australia-wide.
Michele also co-ordinates all client activities nationally on behalf of our Associates. Michele is a vital component of the business and is the contact for all enquiries nationally.
Feel free to phone Michele anytime or simply send her an email.
Merv Wilson - Melbourne Associate
Merv has been working for over 36 years in Banking and Financial Planning. He spent the first 15 years in retail banking with National Australia Bank, including 9 years as a branch manager before assisting with the establishment of the bank’s financial planning arm in 1987.
In 1994, Merv crossed to Pembroke Financial Planners which, in 1995, became Godfrey Pembroke. In 2005 he joined Capstone Financial Planning, subsequently scaling back his involvement with Capstone and joining Radar in 2008.
Merv is a CFP, holds a Diploma of Financial Planning and a Bachelor of Science degree from Melbourne University. He is a strong advocate of the “Fee for Service” approach to Financial Planning, as pioneered by Pembroke in the 1980s.
Merv has been involved in both sides of buying and selling Financial Planning Businesses, having purchased the business of another Godfrey Pembroke Consultant in 2002, and is now well advanced in the succession of his Capstone business. He believes that the single most important ingredient in a successful transition is to identify like-minded sellers with buyers.
Narelle Burke - Brisbane Associate
Narelle brings with her fifteen years of funds management, platform, practice management and financial planning experience.
Narelle’s previous roles have included four and a half years with HSBC Asset Management as their State Manager – Queensland; Business Development Manager roles with Great Southern Securities and Norwich Union (now AVIVA); and administration roles within AMP in both their Head Office in Sydney and their regional office in Toowong in Brisbane.
Narelle’s most recent role has been working as the Business Development Manager in her husband’s financial planning office, where they operate under their own dealer’s licence. As an authorised representative she has also been providing Financial Planning advice and ongoing education to clients of the practice.
Having worked closely with financial planners and accountants throughout Queensland for most of her working life, Narelle has had firsthand experience assisting in the transition of businesses, before, during and after acquisition.
In her spare time Narelle enjoys spending time with family and friends; travelling and live theatre. She is a trained opera singer and has just taken up yoga.
Natalie Egan - Perth Associate
Natalie has 20 years experience in the financial services industry. Her experience includes heading up a funds management division, National Distribution Manager and General Manager. Natalie has been responsible for marketing, research, technical and public relations; her past employers include Great Southern, MLC/NAB group and Financial Synergy. Natalie has a Diploma of Financial Planning and Diploma of Financial Advising (FINSIA).
Natalie will manage Perth and surrounding areas on behalf of Radar, helping buyers locate financial planners wishing to sell their business. Natalie will be a key Associate in WA, representing our 6th national office.
Andrew MacDonald - Adelaide Associate
Andrew entered the industry in 1984 a career as a Land and Business Agent. He became a regional manager with Monitor Money and then in1989 founded his own Securities Licencee, Financial Management Services (FMS) as a joint venture with a CA practice. That year he was elected State Chairman and Board member of ASIFA.
In 1993 he established Symetry which he developed to a stage where in 1999 he negotiated a joint venture with Perpetual Trustees that included payments totalling $9.2 mill to Symetry's stakeholders.
In 2004 the business had $1.4billion FUM and Andrew participated in the negotiations leading to a sale of the business to the CBA group. In the next year he sold FMS into the WHK group and established a new business in funds management involving Equity Trustees that raised over $300 mill in FUM. During this time he was also a Director of MMC Funds Management and was instrumental in assisting it to grow from $15 mill FUM to $560 mill. These businesses where sold in 2005.
In total he has dealt in 14 transactions either acquiring or selling financial services businesses. Currently he is Chairman of FinaMetrica, one of the world’s pioneers in financial risk profiling methodologies and systems. With this rich experience we believe Andrew is well placed to assist clients of Radar Results in achieving successful transactions.
Nihal de Run - Melbourne and Tasmania Associate
He established his own practice, De Run Securities Pty Ltd, obtained a full dealer’s licence from ASIC and ran a very successful business in Hawthorn, Victoria giving more than 2000 clients investment insurance and mortgage advice with support from his four advisor, four support staff business. He was a Global Club Achiever at PIS in 2009.
ING invested in his business until 2007 and then PIS Holdings bought the ING portion of the business in 2009. Nihal grew his practice to a $100 million FUM business and then decided to sell down completely and commence his retirement in 2012, which he has done successfully, and he is still engaged on a part time basis, as a Relationship Manager, by the new owners of his former practice.
Nihal has the experience of buying and selling client registers and whole businesses and brings a wealth of useful knowledge and experience to Radar Results. He is highly regarded by many people in the industry and is respected by many young people in the industry whom he has employed and developed.
Clients and prospects of Radar Results will find Nihal easy to reach and dependable.