Olivia named in Woman of the Year Award

Co-founder of Aspire Retire Financial Services, Olivia Maragna was today announced as a finalist in the Woman of the Year Award, a huge accolade to be singled out for her business achievements and efforts.

The awards aim is to recognise exceptional achievements of women working in the finance industry and is an opportunity to recognise the women who are leading change in your industry and – in doing so – are breaking down barriers and creating new possibilities for the next generation.

Olivia was recognised earlier this year as a driving force in the finance industry and has been named one of the top 10 most financial influencers in Australia, sharing the list with the likes of David Koch, Ross Greenwood, Alan Kohler and Mark Bouris.  She recently represented Australia in a Global Forum in Switzerland in September.

When asked about her success, Maragna explains that always adding value to clients and providing good old-fashioned client service are two key reasons that they have prospered despite a difficult business environment.

“Our clients are the most important people we will see today. We know their families, what issues they are facing, their financial dreams and even how they like their tea or coffee. It’s our attention to these matters that let our clients know we listen and we care about them.”

It is also vital to have a point of difference to separate yourself from the competition. Aspire Retire’s is in their business model.  They are independent and aren’t tied to large corporations, they employ advisers with an accounting background and they charge a flat dollar fixed fee rather than the commission or percentage based model that most financial advisers use.

This approach has seen the business grow with over 95% of their business coming from word of mouth referrals from satisfied clients.  “It’s a statistic that we are very proud of,” says Maragna.

Money Management and Super Review are partnering to celebrate the achievements of  groundbreaking women in the inaugural Women in Financial Services awards.  The winner of the Woman of the Year Award will be announced on 20 November at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.

Olivia Maragna