Deakin chief steps down
Garry Crole has stepped down as chief executive of the Deakin Group to concentrate on marketing the financial services group.
Crole has headed up the group for about a year and has been instrumental from changing its focus from an investment group under the banner of Pacific Rim to what he calls "an integrated financial services group" under the Deakin name. It includes about 500 financial advisers and an insurance brokerage business that includes life, general and health insurance.
Peter Grant has been named as acting chief executive of the group. Grant, the former managing director of general insurance brokerage, the Hannan Group, has been working with the Deakin group as a consultant.
In a letter to Deakin advisers, Crole says his new role will allow him to spend more time working with individual advisers and integrating their businesses into the Deakin.
"One of the issues that I have faced over the past nine months is moving out of the coal face and being restricted time-wise in working with the advisers," he says.
"I look forward to once again having more to do with your business."
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