Finsia appoints Marianne Birch as its new President

The Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia) today announced the appointment of Marianne Birch, SF Fin as its new President, following the AGM held in Melbourne on 24 May 2012.

In congratulating Marianne, outgoing Finsia President, Malcolm McComas SF Fin said he was delighted with Marianne’s appointment.  “She has a long and impressive history within the financial services industry, and with Finsia in particular.  Her contribution to Board activities since her appointment in 2005 has been highly effective and her new role as President is very well deserved.”

Following her appointment last night at the Finsia AGM in Melbourne, Marianne said she was looking forward to her new position on the Board. “We have seen Finsia develop through substantial changes in the last few years, the most significant being the sale of its education arm to Kaplan. This has provided the organisation and its members with new opportunities and challenges,” she said.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Board, the Regional Councils, Advisory Councils, members and staff, and with CEO and Managing Director, Russell Thomas and his Executive Team, in our continued pursuit to create a stronger Finsia, financially independent and relevant to its members,” she added.

Marianne is an Executive Director of Macquarie Capital Advisers Limited in Sydney with over 20 years experience in mergers and acquisitions, specialising in the financial services sector. She joined the Securities Institute of Australasia (SIA) in 1992. She has been on the Finsia Board since 2005; Chair of the Membership Advisory Committee and a Member of the NSW Regional Council.  Previous roles with the SIA include: National Councillor from 2002-2005; Chair NSW Education Committee 1995-2000; Chair, Postgraduate Academic Advisory Committee 2000-2003; Principal lecturer E102 (Applied Valuation) 1999 – 2001.

About Finsia

The Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia) is a membership association for financial services professionals in Australia and New Zealand.

Finsia was formed in 2005 by the merger of the Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance (AIBF), founded 1886 and the Securities Institute of Australia (SIA), founded 1966.

Today, the organisation has approximately 16,000 members and is one of the largest financial services organisations in the region. It aims to help members succeed in their careers through the provision of relevant and high quality professional development programs, a comprehensive suite of career support services and an extensive range of industry-leading information resources and publications.

Finsia also plays a vital role in protecting the industry’s strength and competitiveness through its leadership, advocacy and policy-setting initiatives.

Russell Thomas F Fin is Finsia's chief executive and managing director. Finsia is governed by a board of directors.

The Board is responsible for the overall corporate governance of Finsia, including its corporate planning.
For further information about Finsia, visit: www.finsia.com