NRL legend and four-time premiership winner, Cooper Cronk, has signed on at Viola Private Wealth as a brand ambassador.
Cronk played rugby for 16 years at Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters, and won NRL premierships in 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2019, as well as multiple State of Origin appearances for Queensland.
He has now taken a role as a brand ambassador with Viola Private Wealth, which was launched by Charlie Viola earlier this year and manages more than $2.5 billion in assets under management.
The firm was formed from a management buyout with Pitcher Partners where Viola had worked for the last 20 years. The team purchased various operational aspects of the business and will maintain a strong relationship with Pitcher, whereby it will leverage Pitcher Partners’ accounting and tax services and provide advice to mutual clients.
Viola noted the firm is well-positioned to serve clients who need bespoke advice, which includes professional sports players such as Cronk.
It has been discussed in the past how sports people face unique challenges in earning a lot of money at a young age, unpredictable or unreliable earnings stream, having a limited period of time to earn money and the possibility of a sudden loss of earnings in the event of injury. When their career comes to an end, financial advice is critical for them to maximise their earnings stream and maintain their finances.
Viola said: “Cooper embodies our core values – professionalism, leadership, and a drive to achieve excellence. His insights into building high-performing teams and his dedication to connecting his network with quality advice will add tremendous value to our team and clients.”
Cronk commented: “Success is about more than just what you achieve on the field – it’s also about having a trusting and knowledgeable network of people around you, sharing insights and experiences, and providing the resources to make the most of the opportunities that exist.
“I’m thrilled to work with the team at Viola Private Wealth, a firm that shares my passion for helping people maximise their potential and make astute financial decisions.”
As well as Cronk’s rugby background, Viola Private Wealth senior adviser Peter Nevill is a former national cricketer who was part of Australia’s Ashes team before he retired in 2022.
Earlier this year, Money Management spoke with Brad Symes who was a former AFL player for Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide before he retrained as a financial adviser and later set up his own business Bratton Wealth.
“Every player’s career comes to an end at some stage, and I was 28 when mine finished. I’d always thought about what the transition and what life after would look like for me, and I always knew it had a finance tilt to it,” he told Money Management.
