What is the Strategy First Investment Committee?

Before we expand on the people within and the functions of our Investment Committee, it is important to understand why we have one.

 

Fiduciary Responsibility

As a self-licensed and Independent Financial Planning firm, we make our fiduciary responsibility a priority.

This means that firm must always act in the best interests of its clients, by putting their needs ahead of its own. This includes:

  1. Duty of Care: Making informed and prudent investment decisions.

  2. Duty of Loyalty: Avoiding conflicts of interest and not profiting at the client's expense.

  3. Transparency: Providing clear and honest information about investments and fees.

The firm must ensure that all processes, actions and decisions align with the goal of serving the clients' best interests.

 

Investment Committee

A significant part of this, is Strategy First’s Investment Committee. Made up of the five licensed Financial Planners and one external Investment Consultant, the Strategy First Investment Committee oversees the firm's investment strategies and decisions. More specifically, this committee:

  1. Set Investment Policies: Defines the firm's overall investment philosophy.

  2. Approve Investments: Review and approve specific investments and strategies, and make sure they are consistent with the investment philosophy and serve the client’s objectives.

  3. Monitor Performance: Assess the performance of individual investments and model portfolios, to ensure they align with the firm's investment philosophy.

  4. Manage Risk: Evaluate and manage risks associated with various investments funds and model portfolios.


The ultimate goal is to ensure that investments are made in accordance with the firm's investment philosophy and that they effectively meet client needs and expectations.

Our Members

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Internal Members (pictured left to right):

External Members:

  • Dr Steve Garth 

Steve (pictured) serves as the Principal of Principia Investment Consultants and is an independent member of the Strategy First Investment Committee. In his role, Steve brings academic rigor, support, and valuable insights to the committee, focusing on areas such as asset allocation, implementation, and the assessment of alternative investment strategies.

With nearly two decades of experience, Steve was instrumental in expanding the Australian operations of the global asset manager Dimensional Fund Advisors. His career at Dimensional included managing both Australian and global equity portfolios, leading the Asia Pacific trading team, and spearheading the adoption of direct market access trading. For the past ten years, he has specialized in managing the firm's fixed interest strategies.

Prior to joining Dimensional in 2001, Steve was a faculty member at the University of New South Wales, where he focused on optical fibre technology and quantitative finance in his teaching and research.

Steve Garth

 Qualifications & Accreditations

  • PhD in Applied Mathematics
  • Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics
  • Bachelor of Arts with majors in History and Politics
  • Masters of Applied Finance (MAppFin)
  • Graduate Diploma in Business Administration

Professional Memberships

  • Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Publications and Articles

Please click the links below to download the articles & publications from the Investment Committee

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