Company values: do they actually mean anything?
Well, yes! Madden has three defined and targeted company values that we use to measure performance, support critical business decisions, and to align our team on a common purpose. The Madden values of integrity, excellence, and respect are genuine, and lived by each of us.
So, with April upon us and a busy final financial quarter of 2024 underway, it’s time to pause and reflect on client news from the first three months of this year that help to illustrate our strong Madden values in action!
Integrity: patient support to a much-loved financial technology client
Madden proudly welcomed Novigi as a 100% retained client in March. This moment was a significant event and a show of enormous integrity for each side of the partnership. The Novigi business began some seven years ago as the startup ‘brainchild’ of its founders Ash Priest, Joash Bellusoff and Melissa Fuller.
Over that time, the core relationship with Madden founder Bruce Madden drove a genuine commitment to supporting the vision of the new company, offering occasional pro bono communication advice and counsel, and later assisting on milestone projects. The long-term, patient response to understanding a business, knowing its strategy, vision and challenges – and translating that into success – is very much a genuine commitment by our consulting firm.
Today, Novigi has transformed as a business operating across four offices, two countries and with some 220 plus employees. With over 300 projects and 50 plus clients under its belt, Novigi is genuinely today a significant data and technology services and consulting firm to the wealth and superannuation sector in Australia. But it began life in 2016 as a startup in a coffee shop with a strong vision, backed by the integrity of solid business partnerships!
Madden salutes the founders and the extraordinary Novigi team on their success to date. We are proud to be your PR and Media partner of choice.
Excellence: Alvia Asset Partners delivers Remarkable Double-Digit Outperformance
Also new to the Madden client roster in 2024, Brisbane-based firm Alvia Asset Partners (Alvia) recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its core family office portfolio, delivering an impressive total return of 84 percent, outperforming the composite benchmark (53.1 percent) since inception by a significant margin of 30.9 percent.
Anyone who has worked within Madden will understand that, whilst positive fund performance numbers are a useful proof point, they are rarely the headline act, or primary message. So, rather than push the 84 per cent, our advice was to unveil the deeper Alvia story, shedding light on the founders and their motivations as asset managers and custodians of the wealth of their HNW clients.
Alvia’s own commitment to excellence, led to Madden successfully pitching an exclusive interview with the AFR. The ever-humble Alvia CIO, Josh Derrington, delved into insights of their agnostic investment style and value-based investment philosophies. Josh provided valuable advice on effectively managing a portfolio during evolving market dynamics. Click here to read the full article.
As a client, Alvia does its job: the executive team involves us in their strategy and upcoming transactions, they listen to our advice, and we share in the success of the outcomes. But perhaps more importantly is the shared value of unwavering commitment to excellence. Look out for more of the Alvia Asset Partners story and their unique philosophy towards family office investing. Madden is excited about the uplift for this client and looks forward to continuing a collaboration well into the future.
Respect: Embracing Interagency Collabs
When one plus one equals three! Like any other professional services firm operating in a specific sector, Madden has the opportunity from time to time to interact and collaborate with other PR agencies.
This ‘co-opetition’ (co-operating with a competitor) can be slightly unnerving for the uninitiated, but ultimately rewarding, when done right. Madden was presented with an opportunity to collaborate with PR industry peers at Honner to help deliver a strategic media pitch highlighting the investment nous of its asset manager client Hamilton Lane.
This unique joint interview opportunity was managed together with Madden client, LGT Crestone, who provided the supporting evidence to the pitch.
Rewarding? Yes, the collaboration resulted in a feature in a tier 1 media outlet, where we explored the rising prominence of private markets in Australia and asset allocations for HNW and UHNW investors in Australia.
The learning? Occasionally, it is healthy to work outside of your usual professional orbit, and to see that operating in a small world when mutual respect and purpose are brought to the table can deliver many professional, compounding benefits.
Excellence, Integrity and Respect: International Women’s Day
Madden was honoured to attend the International Women’s Day Lunch hosted by Nexia Australia, where Annabelle Williams, a Paralympian, sports commentator, and lawyer, delivered some inspired storytelling during her keynote address. Annabelle’s story of grit and resilience resonated deeply with everyone present, serving as a reminder to us all of the indomitable power of grace and commitment.
Pictured in green on the right of picture is our very own Head of Marketing and Sales, Penne, with (also in fetching green) Pascale Helyar-Morya OAM. In the middle is Zennia Csikos.
And behind the lectern addressing the event is Nexia Chief Operating Officer Kristina Irish, about to introduce guest speaker Annabelle Williams.
Finally, a few Team Milestones
Madden proudly welcomes Emma Oxley and Gracie Bruce to the Madden team. Emma joins us as an intern, currently studying commerce and PR/Advertising at UNSW. Meanwhile, Gracie joins us from Wellington, NZ, as an Account Coordinator having completed a Bachelor of Commerce, with majors in Marketing and International Studies. Welcome aboard, Emma and Gracie!