Managing Director
B.Bus (Acc), DipFP, FAICD, CFP
Terry Powell’s ambition was born early on his family’s farm in Northwest Victoria, where the idea of being a farmer didn’t pique his interests. It was there that his father handed him an invaluable piece of advice – “Get a good job and you’ll be right for the rest of your life.”
When Terry began at one of the big four banks, he felt like it was going to be a long and arduous life, not the right life. From there, he got his accounting degree and relocated to Melbourne to take up an Accounting role with Pacific Dunlop. He moved to Geelong in 1986 as the accountant for a new battery factory being opened by Pacific Dunlop.
A couple of years later Terry was required to transfer back to Melbourne but as he loved the laidback Geelong lifestyle decided to resign. In a competitive financial landscape, Terry started driving trucks and digging holes to keep up cashflow when he became the treasurer at Ocean Grove Football Club which led him to networking his way into an ANZ investment management role. Terry worked his way up to an executive financial adviser role with their Private Bank division working with some of Australia’s wealthiest people.
His experience and ambition gave him the confidence to dive head-first into a joint venture and accounting firm with no clients, no revenue, but a solid plan that came to fruition as a successful business for several years.
Needing a change of scenery from the financial planning landscape, Terry took a sabbatical and became a consultant in mentoring and leadership where he transformed lives and opened doors for his clients that they never knew possible. His outcomes put him on the radar, and he was head hunted by a local financial planning firm.
When the partners of this firm went their separate ways, for Terry, this became another irresistible opportunity to create something he could truly be proud of – Wealth Built Right.
Under Terry’s leadership, hard work, and invaluable industry experience, Wealth Built Right has been shaped into a firm that puts relationships above revenue, and people before portfolios.
Terry’s ultimate happy place is when he’s with family. You can find him spending quality time with his nearest and dearest, taking too many big swings on the golf course, or donning his best lycra for a bike ride with mates.
By Terry Powell – Managing Director