Macquarie Law School recently profiled alumni Claire Mackay in an article titled “Business leader & investment advice guru”.
You can also read the article on the Macquarie University website [here].
Claire Mackay’s fascination with finance and business began at the family dinner table, so it is no surprise that she followed her dad and her uncle to Macquarie where she completed her Bachelor of Commerce in 2000 and Bachelor of Laws in 2001.
Claire says some of her fondest memories from her time at Macquarie include abseiling off the Sydney Harbour Bridge (as an army officer trainee), doing witness examinations and moots, and heading to Armidale for the Easter conference games.
That heady mix of work, travel and adventure have followed her ever since.
These days, as an owner and investment adviser at Quantum Financial, a family-owned private wealth management firm, Claire has also picked up plenty of industry recognition.
Claire is currently listed as one of the 10 best financial planners in Sydney. She was the youngest-ever winner of ‘Money
Management’s 2015 Financial Planner of the Year Award’ and also named one of Australia’s ‘Top 50 Financial Advisers by Barron’s’.
She is occasionally called on by David Koch (‘Kochie’) to provide finance tips on-air.
Claire says her education at Macquarie gave her a great grounding for her future success.
“Studying law taught me how to question things, analyse problems and identify solutions in a methodical way.”
Before joining the family business, she worked in structuring and tax at Macquarie Bank and at PwC for corporate and high-net- wealth clients.
“Studying law at Macquarie was a great foundation because the training provided a framework for analysing issues and problems, constructing positions and learning new perspectives from super-smart people.”
Claire is a member of ASIC’s External Advisory Panel and of the Accounting Professional
and Ethical Standards Board and is on the Accounting Professional and Ethical
Standards Board – and says the things she learned during her law degree remain useful to her nearly every day.
During her degree, Claire completed a research project on the interaction of superannuation and divorce law, which has given her ongoing insights into the potential financial implications for clients. Based on her research, she has since helped clients to finalise divorce agreements regarding their superannuation.
Claire says that her ongoing connection with Macquarie has paid off. “We’ve employed law undergrads as interns via PACE and I am a guest lecturer on financial planning for the third-year Bachelor of Applied Finance, where all the law students come up and introduce themselves.”
She also loves going to events to hear about former students’ careers.
“Learning about and celebrating their success reminds me of the value of our law degree and uni experience. Studying law can open up so many opportunities.”
