Our team

James Rees

I’m an analytical guy, very self-reflective and pragmatic. I love a good excel spreadsheet. When I was growing up, my siblings always complained that I was so argumentative (sorry Brett, Anna, Aimee and Thom, I recognise that I may have been a bit of a pain).

These characteristics allow me the ability to intuitively seek out different information and perspectives and to really find and understand data and probabilities; to challenge the status quo and constantly seek answers in a complex and changing investment landscape. This, along with a disciplined work ethic and a great team around me, allow me to do a great job providing financial advice to our clients. And I take great pride in that I really appreciate my good fortune in having found a role that suits me so well.

I deeply care about my family, friends and colleagues and genuinely prioritise enjoying my time and interactions with people. I’m a bit of a prankster and always have time for a quick joke or bit of banter.

David Mari

I have always been an innately curious and driven individual. From this, flexibility and personal development are incredibly important to me and this drives my passion for learning across a wide range of fields. I believe that if we are unwilling to learn, we cannot experience all that life has to offer.

All my life I have been attracted to new experiences, new ideas and new people. I continue to spend a large part of my lifetime attempting to surround myself with critical thinkers from all walks of life with opposing views to my own.

My curiosity drew me towards the complexities of financial markets and how our personal finances can be so engrained in the quality of life we all experience. I find great satisfaction in optimising management and investment strategies to deliver positive, even life-changing outcomes for individuals, families and businesses.

I approach my work and my life with an intense passion. I have been very proud and humbled to experience some athletic success as a result. I was afforded the great privilege of representing Australia in Bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018. This experience was such a highlight that it may go unmatched for the remainder of my lifetime, ‘may’ being the operative word.

With athletic success in the rear view, I now look forward to the continued development and achievements I can experience as I pursue my career in finance

Kim Paine

I draw on a diverse set of life experiences and my protective and nurturing instincts to get the best possible outcomes for my clients. I feel great when protecting those around me.

I spent the first decade of my career advising on tax. To fulfil my passionate and creative side I made my way to advising on wealth. From my high school years, I developed an affinity for numbers. Now I relish my daily opportunity to blend maths with investor psychology and my genuine care for people. Being able to utilise my core skills and passions to focus on making a real difference in clients lifestyles provides a challenging and satisfying career path for me. I get huge personal satisfaction when I can help my clients live the best version of their life.

With a background as a Black Belt Karate Instructor I often draw on the discipline and mastery of technical expertise that I have practised to extend my personal growth in life. And through the use of modern technology, I am able to achieve an enviable life/work balance, being present and mindful to enjoy my family’s milestones.

Honesty, integrity and outstanding client care are the values that sustain my energies and maximise my performance every day

Aaron Ross-Connolly

I think my most defining characteristics are that I am determined and have a very strong work ethic, simply because I like to be involved. I have loads of energy and I really like to understand how things work. 

I love explaining things and enabling clients to obtain new perspectives that they may not have previously considered. I do like to be an expert and seen as someone who is an authority and very competent on my chosen subjects. In my client relationships, I do have a strong need for transparency in terms of explaining things and sometimes I go into more detail than is necessary. The more utility you get out of me, the happier I am. 

In terms of what I do in my personal time – aside from being with my family, I also own a farm. For me the farm provides me with a space that is not complicated – that is not involved with financial markets and the complexity associated with this. The farm provides a platform where I can do things outside of my head – physical things that demand practical application. Where I can grow things and regain a natural perspective. It helps me keep things real. 

I value the benefits of working within a team environment where different approaches can bring great synergies. I bring the energy, drive, and work ethic to our culture

Muhammad Rehan

I perform at my best when I can think critically and draw on my enthusiasm for problem solving. I am eager to learn and grow and my career at RMBlack provides this opportunity.

I grew up in Pakistan in a very strong family environment and proudly maintain a heritage of deep respect and love for my family. I am compassionate and thoughtful – two characteristics that are well suited to financial advising.  I draw a sense of pride and humility from my father running his own successful business and displaying a strong entrepreneurial spirit, but it is very important for me to forge my own career path. This was the inspiration for me to move across the world and to pursue tertiary studies and was a key motivating factor for me to join the RMBlack team.

I gained valuable exposure to the business world and complexities of financial markets through my upbringing. I am excited that a career in finance allows me to implement my problem-solving skills. The complexity of financial markets and the ever-changing economic environment brings challenges that excite me and keeps me going. 

Outside of work, I have a keen interest in cricket and soccer. I spend most of my free time with my friends and family and feel blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

Adam Plowman

I'm a passionate guy who loves to understand how things work. I am always intrigued by systems and relationships that exists within systems. This fascination lead me to explore my favourite subjects of Economics and History and how these dynamics have influenced world economies and global share markets.

I've been a part of the RM Black team for over 20 years now and the experience through all aspects of positive and negative markets has fuelled enormous growth in my character. 

As a father of two boys, I see it as my duty to nurture, lead and guide my sons to understand themselves so they are armed to make educated and informed choices in all aspects of their lives. My greatest legacy is to empower my boys so they become strong and capable of making a responsible contribution to the people they love.  

I approach my clients in a similar manner to the way I relate to my boys. My function is to care and educate my clients so they are empowered to make educated choices in relation to their financial wellbeing. I aim to help my clients develop and protect their legacy so they are better able to contribute to the ones they love the most, their Family.

Taryn Carr

I bring energy and enthusiasm to those around me from the moment I start my day. When I walk into a room, I enjoy being able to lift the mood with my animated personality. Being part of a services industry, I enjoy the engagement with clients and colleagues. I take great pride in my organisation skills both at work and at home. Along with my work ethic, I use this to great effect in my role as an executive assistant to deliver positive outcomes for clients.

I am very proud of the work / life balance I maintain and the time I spend with my family. I am constantly aware of school holidays approaching on the calendar. Always eager to jump on a plane or load up the caravan with my family, I often have multiple holidays booked in advance.

With over 30 years’ experience in the finance industry, I haven’t known anything else in my professional career. Before finishing high school in 1988, I had my first full time job and have fond memories of juggling my final exam and my new career.

Brad Motteram

Finance is a passion and hobby of mine that I am fortunate enough to also call a career. I recall an interest in finance from my first game of monopoly and have always had an interest in numbers and how businesses operate and develop. I also flourish in an environment with strong personal engagement, and so working with people and the ability to make a difference to people’s lives is something I am very grateful for.

Outside of the office, I consider myself a typical guy with a passion for sports and music. I’m a social person who enjoys spending weekends with my friends and family.

I approach my work in financial markets with an ambition to gain genuine understanding of complex financial situations and use this to work towards achieving financial goals for a wide range of people. My inquisitive nature means that I seek out incremental improvements in financial concepts rather than accepting details at face value.

I am thankful that I am a part of a team where we can share similar ideals and promote a collaborative environment to work in which in turn energises us all.

Carolyn Crouch

I am organised and meticulous and use this to keep those around me operating at their best. I tend to constantly seek improvement in myself rather than instinctively feeling contented. With a strong work ethic, and a real sense of pride in my performance I enjoy the people and the challenges in my role. I am Intensely caring about those around me. That can make me vulnerable, but I don’t know any other way. Through all of this, I am one of those people who get up in the morning and genuinely enjoy coming to work.

On my down time outside of work, I like to spend time with my two children and husband – going for a bike ride to our favourite spot, Point Walter. As a family we also enjoy going out on our boat and catching a feed of crabs on the weekend when in season. I am also partial to a nice cold Champagne with yummy food and great friends on the weekends.

Having worked in the Stockbroking industry for over 20 years, starting out as an office junior to proudly now managing the Advisor support team, it is a great achievement of many years of hard work and I love the challenges this working environment provides. My experience and skillset provides a broad support base for clients and advisers to progress towards their goals. 

Jeff Parkinson

I’m an investor who followed my interests all the way into making it a career. My personal investment journey started as a young man trading speculative shares as a hobby, and later as a secondary income stream. I was working fulltime in the mining industry back then.

My roles in the mining industry provided varied and valuable experience. Initially in regional exploration and then underground mining, I relished the requirement for my independence, for using initiative and a practical hands on approach. Then within a global corporation, I found great satisfaction working within a small team on projects that have real meaning and contributing to a greater goal.

With my investment experience, whenever I made a loss I thought of it as a “tuition fee”, and given the size of some of these “tuition fees”, I decided it could be more cost effective to study formally, initially only for my benefit. These studies led to an awareness of financial planning, which played to my affinity for problem solving and numbers, leading me to a career change.

Quite counterintuitively, I work in finance but am not significantly motivated by financial wealth or material possessions. Helping clients realise financial peace of mind is my goal that gives me purpose.

Extensive study and a high level of integrity in doing the right thing irrespective of the benefit or cost that I may feel, allowed me to move to head of financial planning and director of our business. I like my routines… maybe a little too much! Weekend rituals include working on kakuro puzzles - the insane level is my relaxation, and my colleagues always know to expect a complete run down on the Parramatta Eels game on Monday morning.

While the role of director provides me with a sense of achievement, the problem solving aspects in financial planning and analysis of shares, for portfolio inclusions, are what makes me tick. 

Kay McDonald

Over many years of working in Financial Markets, I have enjoyed the variety and energy within our industry and specifically within our office. I relish that each day brings a new challenge. Personally, I take great pride in drawing on my organisational skills and pragmatic approach to contribute to positive and rewarding outcomes for clients. The variety of people and their stories and activities is always engaging. The ability to make progress in this environment is very rewarding to me.

While pragmatic and efficient in my work role, I also appreciate the personalities and culture of our office. The ability to joke, and enjoy light hearted mischief creates an environment that allows me to operate at my best. 

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy the odd sporting challenge, travelling and enjoy being part of community events.

Kylie Ware

In an office environment that embraces light-hearted banter, I’m comfortable to accept that I am a mother hen. A strong family loyalty that I hope to pass on to my daughter, I was brought up to protect the underdog and accept a challenge when things need to get done. Finding solutions provides me with job satisfaction.

I take a great interest in being informed – in learning new details and being able to make informed judgements. I am detail oriented and have pride in my ability to learn and work in an organisational and leadership role.

With 20 years experience working and studying in the finance industry, I have found my niche, supporting our advisory team to deliver personalised service to our family of clients.