Meet the good bunch—Brendan DoggettMeet the good bunch—Brendan Doggett

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m a Kiwi living in Sydney with two cats and my partner of 25 years, Peter. I’m proud to be Sharesies’ first Country Manager for Australia. 🐨

It wasn’t my plan to end up living in Australia, we stopped off in Sydney on our way to London for work  (like many Kiwis before us) and fell in love with the Sydney lifestyle—like the beaches and being close to home. We never did end up making it on to London! Like many people, I try to balance my love of food with the gym and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

I went to university in Wellington, where I studied law and commerce. Post university (and pre-Sharesies), I worked for some great companies (like EY, ASX, Macquarie Bank, Citi, and Westpac) and met some amazing people who have taught me a lot about what it takes to be a great colleague and a humble leader. 

What were you doing before Sharesies?

My early career was in legal, compliance, and risk roles which taught me how to balance business growth with getting things right. I then moved into wider roles at Westpac—a Chief of Staff role and a Chief Product Officer Role—which gave me a greater perspective on all the aspects of running a business.

I’ve always wanted to help—help our customers, my colleagues, and the communities in which we operate. It was a privilege to work for companies where others felt the same, and we were able to make a difference to many people, from getting them into a house, getting advice on their financial affairs, to fixing mistakes when they happened. It was in these moments that I learnt a great deal.

What made you want to be a part of Sharesies’ journey?

Having friends and family in New Zealand meant I’ve been able to follow the platform’s journey—so when a friend asked me if I knew anyone in Sydney who might be interested in helping bring the Sharesies platform to Australia, it was a no-brainer for me.

Sharesies’ purpose of "creating financial empowerment for everyone” really resonates with me. It shouldn’t just be the privileged who have access to the ability to grow their financial confidence and wealth. I also really love the platform, it’s so simple to use and offers access to markets in three countries and over 8,000 investments. It’s not often that you can get a platform that works beautifully for new investors and can also cater for the more experienced investors out there.

What does a typical Sharesies day look like for you? 

My job centres around making sure we’re giving our investors (and potential investors) the best opportunities to invest. Having been in lockdown for the last (what feels like forever) year, a lot of my day is spent connecting with my team in New Zealand and Australia—talking about new product features and connecting with other like minded companies who want to level the investing playing field. I’m really looking forward to the post-lockdown environment and being able to do the same kind of things … but in person as a team.

What excites you about working at Sharesies?

I get really excited about the opportunities that Sharesies can give investors access to. It’s amazing to watch a lovable investing journey being built from great technology and brought to life by  a committed team. 

And I’ll let you in on a little secret—I really love the team! The level of care we have for our investors and each other, and the way we’re always trying to break down the barriers to investing motivates me everyday.

Are you personally investing towards anything specific? 

I’ve been lucky enough to work at a few companies who gave me access to buy shares in the company while I was working there. This started my investing journey, and I’ve since invested in some companies that I’m interested in, and some ETFs to help with diversification. I’m not really investing towards any particular goal, but  I like the feeling of building a portfolio that may  return better than what I might get in a savings account.

What’s your aspiration for the future?

I’m really focused on spreading the Sharesies message and helping more Australians discover that they too can be investors and grow their wealth. I hope that Sharesies can make a real difference to people's confidence and their futures.

On a personal level I’m looking forward to the post-lockdown world and catching up with friends and family, plus being able to jump on a plane to travel! 🏝

Brendan Doggett  is a sub-authorised representative of Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893).