The Commonwealth Bank has made two appointments it said will strengthen the services it offers to financial planning practices operating in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Christian Strahlhofer has been appointed as a relationship manager and Komal Soni an account manager in the group’s Corporate Financial Services Financial Planning Banking division.
Strahlhofer and Soni will be based in Melbourne and will service financial planning practices operating in the southern states. The group’s Financial Planning Banking division provides services to businesses nationally. The opening of the Melbourne office follows the success of the specialist division in other regions, the group said.
Strahlhofer has more than eight years experience in international corporate banking with UBS Switzerland and has held a number of roles in risk and relationship management and business development. In his new role, Strahlhofer will be responsible for working with practice owners to structure finance for mergers, acquisitions and succession and staff retention strategies.
Soni has more than six years international corporate banking experience with Royal Bank of Scotland in London, where she held various roles in risk management, business development and portfolio management. In her new role, Soni will be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of financial planning clients and assisting with business acquisitions, growth and succession planning.