Sponsors are a huge part of Hackagong. Without the generous contributions from our sponsors, we wouldn’t be running this awesome Hackathon! This is Sponsor Watch, where we take a quick look at one of our sponsors.

Company: Hillross Shellharbour
Company Website: www.shellharbour.hillross.com.au
Location: Level 1, 1 Burra Place Shellharbour City NSW 2529.
Number of Employees: 7

What does your company do?

We help our clients through all financial stages and challenges in life, whether building their wealth, protecting what they’ve accumulated, preparing for retirement, or planning to maximise the wealth that is transferred from one generation to the next. We also provide business advisory services and support for individuals and companies of all sectors and size- from start up to national. We provide clients with scoped or comprehensive advice tailored to their needs, bringing over 30 years of experience and integrity to our practice.

Hillross Shellharbour is a fee for service advisory practice, providing upfront, transparent advice fees and always acting in our clients best interest. Hillross Shellharbour is committed to exceeding industry standards for regulatory compliance, personal service and value for money. We are also local leaders in Self Managed Super Funds, with a complete in-house service to establish, administer and provide investment strategy and compliance all at very competitive rates.

Contact our friendly local office to arrange a complimentary meeting to discuss planning your financial freedom. For more about Hillross Shellharbour, Hillross or to obtain FSG or full terms and conditions please visit our website. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hillross-Shellharbour/1545592502320780

How did your company first get started? What’s the origin story?

Around 35 years ago Richard Barber first started helping people on the South Coast with financial planning services and advice. From small beginnings working alone from home to overseeing todays multi-skilled team and commercial premises, Wattle Rd Investments has grown almost entirely through referral from loyal, satisfied clients. Richard brings a unique blend of honest, ethical service and quality results for his clients, and many of his original clients are still working with him 30 years later. Today Wattle Rd Investments has become part of the Hillross group, bringing Hillross industry resources and technical support to our core business of working with people to help them achieve financial freedom.

Why did you sponsor Hackagong 2014?

Hillross Shellharbour have a keen interest in supporting innovation and development in the region, we are continually watching the investment horizon for exciting opportunities, and we love backing local individuals and business to take their ideas to the next level. Hackagong brings all this together- we are proud to support talented individuals working locally to create amazing things!

Has your company ever held internal hackathons?

Not so far- But we do have a creative team culture and love solving money problems, and we put together awesome tailored SMSF packages for our clients… if that counts?

What is the most awesome thing or project your company has done?

As you may expect, working with finance we plan meticulously, long term, often looking for consistent, reliable, successful results- not always the most exciting work, but we have helped our clients through just about everything life can throw at them. Rather than one awesome thing or project we just have awesome client stories and results- hundreds of them!

What’s an internal/industry problem your company would like to solve?

Delivering quality financial advice and ensuring it meets rigorous legislative compliance and technical benchmarks has resulted in planners having to run a suite of complex software products- which don’t always integrate easily. Our industry is ripe for streamlined, easy to use, integrated planning software innovation, especially platforms which easily illustrate to our clients the benefits of obtaining professional advice. It would be great to harness technology to bring down cost to service so we could help people who really need help with their finances who currently think they cant afford advice. Sadly in one of the wealthiest nations on earth most people do not obtain the advice or financial literacy to really get the most out of their lives!

What are you most looking forward to at Hackagong 2014?

We are looking forward to seeing some of the technology in the action, particularly the 3D printing gear. Most of all though we are looking forward to being inspired by meeting some of the individuals behind the projects!

Are you currently hiring and if so, what type of person are you looking for?

We are always on the lookout for financial planning talent, that’s a given- its a growing sector and great space to work in helping in people reach financial freedom. In tech terms there is huge potential for developers and coders in our industry as everything moves online and into peoples everyday digital lives!

What trending technology are you most excited for over the next 5 years?

The Internet Of Things has really captured our imagination, and the future opportunities in this space for generating change on technology, social, environmental and financial levels is mind boggling! And mobile technology- its game changing and will only get more interesting!

Hackagong thanks Hillross Shellharbour and our other sponsors for their generous contribution for this years event.