Our Team

Find out more about the team at In Wealth Financial Services...

Core team

3

Maria Mercieca

Managing Director
Who I am …

M aria is a fully qualified Chartered Accountant having completed her Bachelor of Business in Accounting in 1993. She worked for Coopers and Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouse Coopers) as an accountant and financial planner, working primarily with high net worth individuals and self-managed superannuation funds. Maria then moved on to Equity Trustees in order to assist in the establishment of a financial planning division within the company and later moved on to Towers Perrin, again to assist in establishing the Melbourne financial planning arm.

Maria left the workforce in 2001 to raise a young family. She returned as a part time paraplanner whilst continuing to care for her family in order to keep in touch with the financial planning industry. Maria’s services were soon in high demand. This demonstrated that experienced paraplanners, with a true understanding of the demands and needs of a financial planning practice, were in short supply. Maria had a preference for the technical aspect of providing advice. Sensing an opportunity, Maria decided to carve out a career in the Paraplanning sector.

Maria’s accounting, taxation and superannuation knowledge place her in good stead to provide sound technical advice and to formulate strategies catering to your clients needs.

3

Charles Mercieca

Operations Manager
Who I am …

Charles’ role in the business is many and varied. An Accounting graduate – having completed his Bachelor of Business in Accounting in 1993 – Charles is the primary person in charge of the financial aspects of the business, overseeing Accounts Payable and Receivable, Financial Forecasting, and Budgeting.

Charles has almost 20 years experience in I.T. related roles with some of Australia’s biggest financial services companies, covering projects relating to data security and privacy, reporting and data-mining, forensic analysis and data integrity, acquisition due-diligence, and the establishment of operational standards and best practices. Charles extensive corporate experience makes him the ideal person to look after the data held within IWFS.

Rounding out his responsibilities, Charles is also heavily involved in all operational aspects of IWFS, including its recruiting process, staff performance and training, and the development of operational standards and documentation, and together with Maria, strategy and business planning.

3

Jessica Lansdown

Workflow Co-ordinator
Who I am …

Jess is the friendly voice on the end of our phone line. She is responsible for the plan quotes sent to our clients, the allocation of work to Paraplanners, and the distribution of completed plans back to our clients, as well as other various administrative tasks.

Jess has a good knowledge of the finance industry, having previously worked in banking for 10 years. She has many years’ experience working in customer service, and is now enjoying the challenge of working in the Financial Advice field. She is passionate about organisation and is enjoying putting these skills to work for In Wealth.

Outside of work, Jess has 2 children and loves following them in their sporting activities. She loves following the AFL and cricket, and enjoys baking, reading and watching trashy tv in her spare time.


Some of our Paraplanners

Diana

I have been in the Financial Planning industry for over 20 years and have been in various roles from administrative duties to paraplanner and eventually to an adviser role.
I have worked for boutique financial planning firms allowing me to be exposed to various aspects of the business and operations. I have always worked very closely with advisers formulating strategies and preparing modelling scenarios for clients. I have a Degree in Finance and E-commerce and have a Diploma in Financial Planning. I have extensive knowledge in Xplan and Advisernet and enjoy working in Retirement Planning and Superannuation.

I enjoy spending time with my young family and friends and I also enjoy exercising.

Adriana

Adriana has worked in the financial planning industry since 2012, starting as a receptionist/ administration officer and quickly working her way up to Paraplanner and later as an Adviser. She holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Bachelor of Financial Planning, and is experienced in working with a broad range of financial planning strategies. Adriana prides herself on her strong technical knowledge, and enjoys modelling and analysing various strategies.
In her spare time, Adriana enjoys travelling and camping with her husband and two young daughters, and generally spending time outdoors enjoying the beautiful Queensland weather.

Sarah S

Sarah started paraplanning in 2008 after completing her RG146. She completed her Diploma of Financial Planning while working in Business Development in 2010.
Sarah is highly skilled in Coin and Xplan and has an interest in the areas of Superannuation, Retirement Planning, Personal Insurance and Investments.
She joined the In Wealth team in October 2013.

Margott

Margott has worked in the financial services industry for over 20 years working for both large corporations and boutique family operated businesses. Her first role in customer service/office administration for a financial adviser soon led to a career in paraplanning. She did step out as an adviser for a few years and although loving the client interaction, missed the analytical work involved in preparing and constructing financial plans so moved back to being a Senior Paraplanner. She has a Bachelor of Economics majoring in accounting and commercial law as well as the Diploma of Financial Planning. Her solid technical knowledge base encompasses a diverse range of financial strategies which has allowed her to prepare a wide range of Statements of Advice including those for SMSFs, company and trust structures. She commenced work as a contract paraplanner in 2014 with In Wealth after leaving a large corporation and daily commutes of 3 hours. This has given her the flexibility of working from home and she has never looked back. When not preparing plans she is walking in the bush, learning to play piano and enjoying time with her family.

Joanna

Joanna has worked in the financial services industry since 2001 following the completion of her Bachelor of Commerce degree (Economics and Finance).
Since 2006 (after working in administration and Adviser Support roles), Joanna has worked in various Paraplanning and Technical Adviser roles for a number of companies including Colonial First State and at the same time completed her Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning).
Joanna enjoys preparing Statement of Advice documents of all levels of complexity and has extensive knowledge and skills in Xplan, COIN and DRAFT software.
Joanna’s Paraplanner and Technical Adviser roles have allowed her to gain strong technical knowledge and experience in formulating and analysing strategies and in the preparation of Statement of Advice documents in a variety of areas including wealth creation, superannuation, retirement planning, risk management, social security and aged care.
Outside of work, Joanna enjoys spending time with her family.

Georgina

Georgina has been working in the financial planning industry for the past 9 years and is proficient in Xplan software. Georgina holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Majoring in Financial Planning from Curtin University in Perth and will soon be commencing her studies to become a Certified Financial Planner.
Georgina’s hobbies include travel and spending time with her young family.

Laura J

Laura has been in the Financial Services industry for over 15 years, most recently as a Financial Adviser for a boutique practice in Brisbane CBD. She left to start a family and decided to use her Paraplanning experience in combination with her front line advising capabilities to assist other advisers with their Paraplanning needs.

Laura holds a Diploma in Financial Planning and has exceptional knowledge of Xplan. She specialises in Self Managed Super Funds, Pre and Post Retirement, Gearing and Insurance.

When she’s not working Laura loves spending time with her partner and playing with her one year old son. She loves camping, reading and a bit of karaoke!

Angela

Angela is a Certified Financial Planner with over 22 years’ experience within the financial planning industry. This includes time spent working in an accounting firm and then a specialist financial planning business before moving to contract paraplanning 5 years ago for a more flexible work life balance. Angela also holds an Advanced Diploma in Financial Planning and SMSF Accreditation.

Angela’s fundamental approach centres around the belief that financial planning is a partnership between the adviser and their client. Her experience has confirmed that improved financial knowledge and education results in clients being more confident in making informed decisions and valuing the financial planning process.

Angela provides comprehensive strategies focussing primarily on investment and retirement including financial projections that demonstrate outcomes in a client friendly way.

When not at the desk, Angela enjoys playing tennis and golf as well as tending to a large home garden and spending time with family.

Crystal J

Crystal has almost a decade of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in administration, advice implementation, paraplanning, and remediation. She holds a Diploma of Financial Planning and a Bachelor of Science, and is proficient in Xplan. In May 2023, Crystal joined the In Wealth team and never looked back. She loves the flexibility and autonomy of being a contract paraplanner.

When she’s not working, Crystal enjoys unwinding with a good book, soaking up the sun at the beach, dabbling in her various hobbies, or spending quality time with her cat.

Elizabeth S

As a dedicated paraplanner, I specialise in crafting tailored Statements of Advice (SOAs) for financial planners, helping them deliver strategic and compliant financial solutions to their clients. With a strong understanding of financial products, investment strategies, and regulatory requirements, I ensure that each plan is comprehensive and personalised, meeting both client needs and industry standards.

Outside of work, I’m passionate about adventure and travel, with Iceland being my favourite destination. I love the mountains and snow, and I’m an avid reader, always seeking new stories and perspectives.

Rebecca V

Rebecca has been in the Financial Services Industry since 2015, starting her career in a contact centre for an industry super fund, followed by moving into a CSO role and then working her way to becoming an Adviser. Rebecca decided to take a step back into Paraplanning, joining In Wealth in June 2019.

Having completed a Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning and with the experience obtained working in the industry, Rebecca enjoys all areas of advice and the challenge of the more complex areas.
Rebecca has found her passion in the industry and enjoys working closely with advisers to bring the best outcome for the clients by producing thorough and compliant Statements of Advice, adding value along the way where possible.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending her time with her son, family and friends, also getting outdoors and traveling when possible.

Michelle J

Beginning her career in the financial planning industry in 2002, Michelle has developed a comprehensive skill set from administration, paraplanning, compliance, and advisory roles. With over 7 years of experience specific to contract paraplanning, Michelle thrives on collaborating with financial planners and support staff. Michelle has worked with and within firms of varying sizes as well as with many different licensees.
Michelle is proficient in a range of software tools, including Xplan, Draft, and DASH. She holds a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning and is currently completing a Master of Financial Planning, further solidifying her commitment to professional growth and excellence in the field.
Residing in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Michelle embraces the flexibility of contract paraplanning, which allows her to balance her professional ambitions with quality time spent with her husband and son. She is always eager to discuss her beloved cats and dog, as well as her favourite sports—tennis, AFL, NRL, and cricket.