Integrating Your Personal Finance Strategy with Your Business

Mid Market Matters

Alex Lee is Co-founder and Managing Partner of financial advice firm Thornton + Lee, acting as an experienced financial advisor. He specialises working with clients who need assistance with their personal finance strategy, mainly those seeking a strategic partner that offers highly personal service built on a meaningful long-term relationship. Originating from an accounting background, Alex describes his career path to financial advisor as accidental. His grad program involved placement in financial services, and this exposure to the financial environment was when the future and planning ahead aspect of his role gained his attention.

Alex also has extensive experience with Employee Share Plans, primarily the tax sector. He sustains that the key to ESOPs is education, making sure his clients are fully aware of all the consequences and options involved. Alex references in regard to ESOPs, knowing the tax consequences is essential to allow appropriate planning and management of cash flow. Once this understanding is clear, he works through options with his clients; may this be holding the ESOP in your own name, transferring to a partner’s name, or to another structure so it is more tax effective in the future. His clients are made aware of the importance of these decisions up front, as a tax structure that you can control and have flexibility with is crucial. Moreover, most employees don’t have necessary financial taxation knowledge to make such decisions without good advice, which is what makes Alex’s role so vital.