A drive for client-centric practice coupled with an impressively extensive career in finance considering his age, has led Brisbane-based Caleb Dozzi, senior adviser and managing director of Dozzi Financial Advice, to succeed in the Young Achiever category this year.
Following a different path from his music and sports-orientated siblings, Dozzi began working at his grandfather’s finance firm in a part-time role in 2002 when he was just 15, making it almost 15 years in the financial services industry.
By the time he was 22, Dozzi had completed his financial planning degree and diploma, subsequently playing a role in developing the small family firm and advising clients during the global financial crisis in 2009.
“Working in a small firm I learned how to rely on myself, and for any adviser during the GFC, it taught you a lot,” he said.
Naming passion as a key theme in his career, it’s hard to find many planners who are as enthusiastic about the industry as Dozzi.
“Everyone in my family lives a dream and follows a passion, and, growing up, our household was never about the dollar you earnt, it was more about enjoying what you were doing.”
Although initially attracted to the “glitz and glamour” of the financial services industry, ten years into his career he sought to achieve longevity in the industry through staying true to his values and finding enjoyment.
Just under two years ago, Dozzi decided to begin his own practice, which was built on a foundation of internal values and client best practice.
“There’s not many how-to books on constructing a business like that, you need to be really passionate about operating in that way and improving what you’re doing by one per cent every day,” he said. “Every decision that we make in the business is based off outcomes for our clients, and what could give us the most amount of enjoyment.”
In addition to acting solely in his clients’ best interests, Dozzi ensures client outcomes include short term goals like reducing debt.
“A lot of what advisers do, whilst it’s really beneficial for clients, tends to be long term. We don’t just stick with those long-term pieces of advice like superannuation or investments, whether that’s assisting clients in repaying debt or making monthly decisions for the benefit of their financial situation or their family.”
Dozzi said ensuring his team is always enjoying what they’re doing is key, always putting a “high priority on our team having the right work to life balance”.
Dozzi said it “felt amazing” to receive the Young Achiever award and that it was always a career goal to do something he was inherently proud of, and that is what has been achieved at Dozzi Financial Advice.
“So, this award is a massive bonus and it’s great to receive recognition for those efforts. It’s an amazing feeling and an amazing prize,” he said.
Finalist Helena McGeorge from Deloitte was praised for her commitment to client solutions, while finalist Crystal Bobir from Tupicoffs set an example for young women in a professional environment by working full-time and studying a full-time degree in commerce while pregnant with her first child.
