Austen Morris Associates are proud to be celebrating our 24th year in business. On behalf of everyone at AMA, we would like to say THANK YOU to all of our clients, friends, family, and team members for helping to reach this milestone. We are so proud of this achievement.
Since 1994, we have been committed to the core values of trust, professionalism, and partnership to the benefit of our International Clients around the world, resulting in the successful long-term relationships that are the foundation of Austen Morris Associates today. Headquartered in China, South Africa, and the Philippines, we operate throughout Asia and Africa to meet the demand for our specialised services and strong knowledge of financial opportunities for our global investors.
Exciting things are happening at Austen Morris Associates, and due to our remarkable growth in South Africa, we are expanding our office space in Johannesburg, moving to a bigger location in Cape Town with quite the view…
In addition to this, we are very pleased to announce the appointment of five senior finance professionals to the South Africa offices. Combining their wealth of knowledge in the local and international markets and extensive experience with onshore and offshore client relations, we view these appointments as a sign of our commitment to continue providing our clients and future clients with the highest level of unbiased, professional investment advice, while maintaining our ethos of excellence and exceptional service.
We are confident that the new members to the team will continue to build on the strengths of Austen Morris Associates—trust, honesty, integrity, and above all else, loyalty are the cornerstones of AMA.
On behalf of everyone at AMA, we would like to welcome the following key members to the team:
Appointment of Associate Partner – Ian Edwards
As an Associate Partner with Austen Morris Associates, Ian leads with an entrepreneurial vision, team-centric approach, and high personal expectations. Business development is his fundamental personal skill, leveraged through relationships built on trust and professionalism over his many years of advisory. Ian possesses developed specialist offshore structuring (personal, company, and board) and refined investment knowledge. Ian has had a successful managerial and consulting career in international advisory. He has held multiple managerial and senior consulting positions, which include managing large teams with an excess of $100 million in assets under management of individual client investments. Ian is focused on delivering exceptional client value and client experience.
In his personal capacity, Ian summited Kilimanjaro in 2010 with Martina Navratilova as part of a fundraising exercise for the Laureus Foundation. Ian has been actively involved in sports development in South Africa, working alongside many well-known South African sporting personalities.
Appointment of Senior Consultant – Lucien Gounden
Lucien developed an early interest in wealth and preservation. At the age of just 15, he took part in a share portfolio exercise run by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). He has an instinctive aptitude for numbers, markets, and trends. After finishing his degree in financial management, he went straight into the financial industry. Lucien holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Financial Management, RE5, and Charted Institutions of Investment Management.
Lucien has a brother and two sisters. He loves sport, especially swimming, tennis, and golf. He is married to his lovely wife Yaadhna, and they have two great Danes puppies. Lucien’s drive and work ethic are inspired by his favourite quote, which reads: “We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.”
Appointment of Senior Consultant – Nick Pitro
At 35 years of age, Nick has had an extensive professional consulting career, spanning 15 years. Nick’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, key financial regulatory exams including RE5, as well as NQF to Level 5. He is also in the process of completing his Chartered Financial Planning degree. Nick lives by the motto, “I am motivated by the fear of being average,” and strives to filter this into all areas of his life, including work, family, client interactions, and personal passions. His core values include mutual respect and integrity, and he believes in “treating every day as if it was [his] last.”
Nick’s personal life is kept occupied as an avid wildlife photographer and sports fan, but he loves to spend time with his family. Nick is a true, true South African, and as such, he exudes the passion and love that is synonymous with the people of his beloved country. Having lived in Johannesburg all his life, Nick is married to the love of his life and best friend, Nicole.
Appointment of Senior Consultant – Mathew Marsden
Mathew has been working in the high-net-worth wealth management sector for the past five years, having qualified with his Postgraduate Investment Honors (Suma Cum Laude) at the University of the Witwaterstrand in Johannesburg. Having formerly co-managed the Johannesburg operation for one of Africa’s fastest growing offshore wealth advisories, Mathew is naturally gifted in client services and investment management. In his previous company, Mathew oversaw a multi-million dollar asset book, serving an extensive list of board-level clients across an array of locally and foreign-listed companies. His experience ranges from the structuring of offshore trust, pension and stockbroking portfolios, to direct property-broking and asset allocation, where he sat as an integral key member of his former employer’s group investment committee. Mathew also holds his Level 3 Wealth and Investment certificate (CISI London), certificate in Property Investment & Practice (WITS), RE5 Regulatory Exam (FSB), and will shortly achieve designation as a Registered Securities Trader on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Outside of the office, Mathew is a family man at heart, and is deeply involved in his church. Mathew also enjoys traveling, and is passionate about entrepreneurship.
Appointment of Business Operations Manager – Nicole Edwards
A highly motivated individual with a mind for problem solving, Nicole is well known for identifying and resolving administrative issues, implementing strategic frameworks to create flow and ease of use within companies and departments. She takes pride in all aspects of her work, and is favorably known as ‘The Fixer’. Nicole is dedicated and focused on delivering her services timely, whilst consistently providing robust and realistic solutions within team environments.
For the past 7 years, Nicole has primarily worked with HNW and UHNW individuals, whose clientele designations range from Chairman of banks to Senior Executive Board members in South Africa and Africa. Nicole is driven by efficiency, with a broad skill set that encompasses the knowledge and expertise she has gained, and a specific focus on developing and implementing compliance strategies to optimize client-servicing frameworks. Nicole completes each task with precision, and prides herself on attention to detail, while keeping a charismatic view of the world.
Having grown up in Botswana, Nicole is a wildlife fanatic and loves being outdoors, but is also content spending time snuggled up on her couch, watching a movie or reading a good book. Her friends, family, and fur babies are very important to her, and you’ll always find Nicole happy to share a story or two over good food, wine, and of course, a bit of karaoke (if the opportunity presents itself).
