Guides & Mentors

Chelsea Pottenger

Founder, EQ Minds

Chelsea Pottenger joins NextGen 2026 to share practical strategies for building a high performance mindset — exploring the science of focus, energy and productivity at work and in life. Chelsea is the founder of EQ Minds, an accredited mindfulness and meditation coach, a psychology student and a proud ambassador for mental health charities R U OK? and the Gidget Foundation Australia. As one of Australia’s most popular corporate wellbeing presenters, Chelsea has worked with thousands of independent business owners as well as executives at large corporates like Atlassian, eBay, Google, The Defence Force, CBA and Estée Lauder to provide them with the tools and habits to sustain focus, manage their energy and perform consistently without burning out.

Canna Campbell

Founder, SugarMamma TV

Canna Campbell joins NextGen 2026 to share her secrets to creating content that converts — helping advice practices craft stories that build trust, grow an audience and turn followers into clients. Canna is a licensed financial planner of nearly 20 years’ experience, best-selling author of The $1000 Project and Mindful Money, and founder and director of financial media platform SugarMamma.TV. As one of Australia’s most recognised personal finance content creators, Canna brings a wealth of real-world experience to help attendees develop a content approach that works for their practice and their personality — and use it as a powerful tool to attract and convert new clients.

Bob McCarthy

Managing Director, Integrity Solutions

Bob McCarthy joins NextGen 2026 drawing on a remarkable career that spans 16 years as an officer in the Irish Naval Service, international offshore sailing — including the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race and the Sydney to Hobart — and more than a decade running a major international training organisation across Ireland and Australia. As a leader, facilitator and founder of Integrity Solutions, Bob has a deep belief that lasting business results only come through attitude and behaviour change. At NextGen 2026, Bob presents twice — sharing hard-won lessons on how high-performing advisers think about sales, diagnose client needs and guide conversations with confidence, before joining Frank Paul of WT Financial Group to explore the behavioural psychology behind building emotional client relationships that sustain and respect fees.

Kohl Gianoli

Founder & Director, Insource Automation

Kohl Gianoli joins NextGen 2026 to show advice practices what meaningful automation looks like in the real world. As founder and director of Insource Automation, Kohl specialises in workflow automation and applied AI for professional services firms — and after years working inside financial planning businesses, he knows firsthand how much time is lost to manual processes and disconnected systems. At NextGen 2026, Kohl hosts a panel discussion and live demonstration exploring the key opportunities automation presents and how one practice has built a heavily automated, low-touch advice and review system — freeing advisers to spend their time exactly where they are most valuable: with their clients.

Keith Cullen

Founder & Managing Director, WT Financial Group

Keith Cullen is the founder and managing director of WT Financial Group Limited and is the largest (non-institutional) shareholder. He has 37 years of experience as a corporate executive and entrepreneur across the broadcast media, technology, and financial services sectors. Keith successfully conceived and implemented the strategy to pivot the group from its previous B2C focus to a primarily B2B focus through the acquisitions of Wealth Today, Sentry Group, Synchron and Millennium3 Financial Services.

Keith is an entrepreneur and problem solver, and a creator and builder of businesses, ideas and careers. He is an empathetic, persuasive, determined and pragmatic businessman who relishes challenges and balances big picture thinking with hard work and detail orientation; and a sense-of-urgency with perseverance and grit. With a track record of success in the recruitment, training, mentoring and motivation of high-performance individuals and teams, he encourages and instils these traits in those around him. As host of NextGen 2026, Keith brings the same energy and vision to the stage that has defined his career — welcoming the next generation of advice professionals and setting the tone for the event.

Eric Bohl

Select Advice Group

Eric Bohl is a Director and Senior Financial Adviser at Select Advice Financial Planning, now in his 27th year helping Australians make smart, confident financial decisions. Over the years, he’s been recognised nationally for his work — including multiple awards such as Millennium3’s National Financial Planner of the Year and a long run of State awards — but what he’s most proud of is the real‑life impact good advice has on people’s futures.

Eric started his career in the banking world before moving into private practice, eventually building Select Advice Financial Planning into a highly regarded, award‑winning firm known for its high standards and client‑first approach. He’s spent his career working across investment planning, superannuation, retirement strategies, and personal risk advice — but he loves breaking down complex topics in a way that actually makes sense.

As a mentor, Eric is all about being practical, open, and real. He enjoys sharing lessons from nearly three decades in advice — the wins, the challenges, and the things he wishes he knew earlier. More than anything, he’s passionate about helping the next generation of advisers build confidence, professional pride, and a mindset of continuous learning. Outside of work, he values keeping things simple, staying curious, and finding ways to make a positive impact wherever he can.

Melissa Morris

Strategic Prosperity

Melissa Morris is a licensed financial adviser with Strategic Prosperity Group and brings almost 30 years of experience across the financial services industry. Her career began in 1997 at Deutsche Bank, where she built a strong foundation in client services before transitioning into paraplanning — a technical grounding that continues to shape her approach as a highly self sufficient adviser today.

In 2006, Melissa was given the exciting opportunity to join Strategic Prosperity Group — a move that marked a pivotal point in her career. Encouraged by one very special person, she went on to complete her Diploma of Financial Services and became a licensed financial adviser in 2008. A few years later in 2011, another exciting opportunity was presented and she became a part owner in Strategic Prosperity Group. This journey has given her a deep appreciation for the many different entry points and career paths within advice.

She specialises in strategic financial advice, helping clients navigate complex life decisions with clarity and confidence. Melissa is passionate about helping people live a life they love — free from money stress — by providing peace of mind, structure, and long term direction.

As a NextGen mentor, Melissa is focused on sharing practical insights, real experiences, and honest lessons from her journey — including the challenges, pivots, and decisions that shaped her career. She hopes to encourage NextGen attendees to build strong technical foundations, stay curious, and recognise that success in advice is built over time, not overnight. Outside of work, Melissa loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen — just without carrots, thanks to a carrot allergy.

James Millard

Sufficient Funds

James is Managing Director and Financial Adviser at Sufficient Funds, and author of Amazon best seller “Insufficient Funds”. Starting in the corporate world, James accelerated through roles as Financial Adviser, State Manager & General Manager. He has managed teams of up to 35 and has a passion for developing talented professionals. James co-founded Sufficient Funds in 2018 with his wife Tash. SF is an entirely virtual business focussed on their Gen-Z & millennial niche, which has completely rewritten the rules of where the true value of financial advice lies. They have navigated rapid and significant growth over the past few years and James now splits his time between the team of 26, his clients and collaborating with Tash directing the strategy for long term growth.

When not hanging with his young family you’ll find James surfing or on his mountain bike in his hometown of Newcastle. James is an open-book so hit him up with any questions you have.

Gerard Haskew

Leading Advice

Gerard Haskew has been a financial adviser since 2010 and is the Co-Founder and Director of Leading Advice. What began as a small two adviser practice — where Gerard and his business partner(and wife) did everything themselves — has grown into a thriving advisory firm with five advisers, an associate adviser, an upcoming Professional Year adviser (with another on the way), five onshore support team members and two offshore support staff.

Gerard has built Leading Advice on a foundation of technical expertise, genuine care, and long-term client relationships. He specialises in retirement planning and wealth protection strategies, helping clients move from uncertainty to clarity. His clients consistently value the calm, confident approach he brings to complex financial decisions ensuring they feel secure, informed and in control of their financial future.

Under Gerard’s leadership, Leading Advice has evolved into a collaborative, process driven firm committed to delivering high quality, personalised advice while maintaining a strong team culture. Just hoping to share some stories and experience with the Nextgen attendees that they may find something to take away with.

Outside of the office, Gerard enjoys staying active at the gym, playing golf, and snow skiing. He’s also a loyal supporter of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.