Julie Cassimatis of Storm Financial receives national recognition
Storm Financial, Managing Director and Joint CEO Julie Cassimatis has been recognised as an elite achiever in the published 2007 edition of Who’s Who of Australian Women.
The annual publication recognises the outstanding contribution of Australian women from business, politics, law, academia, sports, the arts, community, family and other fields.
With a Master of Finance Degree (Distinction) and currently studying Master of Commercial Law (Macquarie University), Cassimatis has always had a passion for business since starting her career as an MLC office junior 25 years ago.
She was nominated for her contribution to the Australian finance industry, in recognition of her achievement and contribution in co-stewarding Storm Financial, the company she owns with husband, Emmanuel Cassimatis from a concept to a nationally significant and continuously expanding corporate success story.
Storm now boasts offices in many major cities however has always retained its head office in Townsville, with further commitment to Townsville evident in the $5m expansion the building is currently undergoing.
Storm currently has $4.5bn in funds under management, over 3000 clients, and 14 offices along the eastern seaboard with more acquisitions on the drawing board.
Cassimatis has no doubt that a positive ‘can do’ attitude is a key factor in success.
There will always be successes and failures in the course of anybody’s career, but it is attitude that determines whether you view failures as backward steps or as learning experiences which help you grow.
Cassimatis believes a woman playing a big role in leadership is part of what makes Storm special as it nurtures staff and clients.
This can be seen throughout the organisation, and was recently demonstrated when Storm acquired 10 new practices earlier this year. Cassimatis ensured there were female representatives on each of the new subsidiary firm’s board of directors.
She also attributes her success to goal setting and never underestimating what you can achieve a great team (surrounding with positive people with similar core values, philosophy and principles), open, honest communication, a people first philosophy and the ever-important healthy balance between work and family, one she is well attuned to as she and Emmanuel have six children between them (three inherited, but all one big happy family).
She believes a good support structure is essential, both away from work and at work.
Cassimatis explained that for quality of life, we need to ensure that our working life compliments our personal life as much as possible and each is not a strain on the other. Otherwise we face inner turmoil if we battle our personal life against our work life.
A family-oriented, supportive work environment is something we offer and consider as absolutely essential, and ultimately benefits the organisation as well as the individual.
Carolyn Blackburn, who has just been promoted to Head of Operations for Victoria, has worked closely with Julie in the Townsville office since joining Storm in 2004 and values her leadership highly.
Carolyn Blackburn said that one of the key strength's of Julie's management style is her amazing capacity to be juggling a large number of critical projects that have the high impact on the business, while still finding time to be a mentor and sounding board to anyone who needs it.
She added that when Julie is called upon for advice, she is able to cut to the heart of the matter with insightfulness and diplomacy. She challenges those that work for and around her to strive for high levels of excellence, and her unswerving faith in her staff to deliver inspires them to achieve way beyond their own expectations.
31-Aug-2007