media release (16-269MR)

ASIC bans former Macquarie adviser Sarah Kate Gardner

Published

ASIC has banned Sarah Kate Gardner, of Mooloolaba, Queensland, from providing financial services for one year.　

Ms Gardner was employed as a strategic financial planner in the Brisbane office of Macquarie Equities Limited (Macquarie) between 2007 and 2013. 　

An ASIC investigation found that in February 2013 Ms Gardner was involved in the creation of a falsely executed and backdated client authority form, and lied to Macquarie about the validity of this document.　

Ms Gardner formed an informal business partnership with Macquarie colleague Anthony Jason Sourris, in which Ms Gardner provided strategic and financial planning advice to clients and Mr Sourris provided investment advice. ASIC has also banned Mr Sourris (refer 16-270MR). 　

Ms Gardner has the right to appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of ASIC's decision.　

Background　

The outcome is a result of ASIC's Wealth Management Project, which was established in October 2014 to lift standards by major financial advice providers.  The Wealth Management Project focuses on the conduct of the largest financial advice firms (NAB, Westpac, CBA ANZ, Macquarie and AMP).

ASIC's work in the Wealth Management Project covers a number of areas including:　

1. working with the largest financial advice firms to address the identification and remediation of non-compliance advice;　

2. seeking regulatory outcomes, where appropriate, against licensees and advisers. As part of this Project, ASIC has, for example, banned the following advisers from the financial services industry, in addition to Mr Sourris:　

Media enquiries: Contact ASIC Media Unit