From Wednesday, 7 October to Friday, 9 October, financial counsellors and friends of the sector came together at the Pullman Melbourne, Albert Park, for our 2026 Conference: In Pursuit.
Over three days, we heard from powerful keynote speakers, regulators, ombudsmen, creditors, politicians, and people with lived experience. We launched our Digital Transformation Roadmap, celebrated the people who make our sector what it is, and spent plenty of time catching up with colleagues old and new.
Here’s a look back at some of the highlights, along with what you told us in our post-Conference survey.
Wednesday: Professional Development, the AGM, and Some Kylie
Wednesday was all about professional development, with two streams running side by side.
Matthew Laurence, Savanna Thomas, and James Happell started the day with AI in Practice: Ethical, Effective and Responsible Use for Financial Counsellors, and after lunch, Jenny Rolfe-Wallace explored The Psychology of Money: What Drives Financial Decisions.
Meanwhile, Cath Metcalf and Laura Powell led a full-day deep dive into financial counselling in disasters. We heard great things about this highly interactive session, which included a simulation with FCVic staff playing roles, including Zyl as an overly enthusiastic news reporter.
We then held our Annual General Meeting, where we launched our Annual Report.
To finish the day, In Pursuit of Connection brought everyone together for canapés, karaoke, and a surprise guest performer. Drag queen Opalescence regaled us with some Kylie Minogue, and set the tone for the days ahead.
Thursday Morning: A Cracking Start
Thursday was the first day of our main program, and we kicked it off in the Pullman Grand Ballroom with a cracking morning session.
Our MC, David Tennant, set the tone early, keeping us all behaved and on time with the power (or is it the threat?) of a squeaky chicken. It worked remarkably well.
Uncle Tony Garvey then welcomed us to Country, reminding us that we set the rules and the tone wherever we go, and that there’s no room for racism.
Lisa Millar’s keynote took us from country kid to foreign correspondent. She spoke about chasing dreams, staying curious, turning disappointments into something good, building resilience, and looking after our mental health. And, on the authority of the Fonz, being authentic is cool.
Victorian Ombudsman Marlo Baragwanath made the case for fairness as fundamental. She talked about removing the blindfold to see the whole person, and shifting from reactive to preventative, so we can push for systemic change and build systems that are respectful, fair, and centred on the person.
To round out the morning, Cynthia Gebert, Gerard Brody, Denis Nelthorpe, and Catherine Wolthuizen, from the Essential Services Commission, Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria), and Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, asked a big question: why does the system allow this to happen? Even one case can make a difference, but when financial counsellors and community services workers report issues en masse, it makes huge waves. The panellists shared examples of financial counsellors flagging systemic issues early. Denis also showed how getting it wrong can lead to course corrections and make sure the right voices are heard. The message was clear: our sector has a key role in holding ombudsman schemes to account and following through.
Thursday Late Morning: Big Ideas and Calls to Action
Arnie Salinas-Pinto and Dacia Abela presented an ambitious idea for reimagining hardship assistance for victim-survivors of family violence. If every situation is radically different, why do we offer the same three-month moratorium? Long-term, tailored support can offer a pathway to stability and prevent outcomes like homelessness. Their challenge to the banks in the room: be brave and step up.
Mangen Batjelan (Yorta Yorta for “to build money”) was an incredible and moving session from David Vanek, Elyse Hoskins, and Kallahrney Turner. They called on creditors to actually follow through on their Reconciliation Action Plans by treating First Nations customers in a culturally safe way, and taking on the work of explaining their own systems and processes in clear terms, rather than leaving it to consumers and financial counsellors. Elyse’s case study was especially powerful, and a beautiful thank-you song from our guests from Aotearoa made it a truly special moment.
FCVic Training Manager Tanja Hauseler then led a short nervous system reset. Grounding, and very much needed.
Phillipa Balk from the Australian Services Union gave us an update on the Work Value Case. The Skilled, Respected, Equal campaign is in full swing, and it’s great to know the union sees the value of financial counselling and is fighting for fair pay and conditions. Her message: in an election year, visibility matters.
On addressing financial hardship in Victoria, Aiv Puglielli MLC spoke about the importance of affordable basics like housing, groceries, and healthcare. Minister for Consumer Affairs Tim Richardson joined us by video to speak to the effectiveness of the financial counselling sector. Rachel Payne MP reminded us that financial counselling is an essential service as more Victorians edge closer to hardship.
To finish, Abel Scopelitti shared results from a pilot placing financial counsellors in three prisons, where people can’t just pick up the phone or log in to online banking. Nine out of 10 participants felt more hopeful and in control, and better prepared to reconnect with family and community on release. It makes good economic sense too, and we hope to see more funding and a wider rollout.
Breakout Sessions: Practical Learning for Practice
On Thursday and Friday afternoons, attendees chose from seven breakout sessions, most of them running on both days. Going by your feedback, they were one of the most valued parts of the Conference.
- From Principle to Practice: Exploring the New Financial Counselling Code of Ethical Practice with Vicki Staff and Narelle Clark. Practical and interactive, with attendees especially valuing the case-study activity and the explanation of why the Code changed.
- The Sheriff Is Back – From Fines to Enforcement with Matthew Eames. A highly practical session packed with specific enforcement knowledge, a video of the warrant process, and plenty of questions from the room.
- Power, Responsibility, and Risk: Understanding Powers of Attorney with Gary Ferguson. Engaging, informative, and funny, with great handouts and useful information about secondary consultations.
- When Small Business Debts Become Personal with Bridget Morcom and Callum McKenzie. Relevant and practical, covering business structures, the right questions to ask, and real examples.
- Financial Vulnerability and Resilience in LGBTIQA+ Communities with Lynda Horn. Praised for its openness and honesty, and for the knowledge and client experiences shared.
- Shame, Stigma, and Money with Maria Ruberto. Our most attended breakout, with attendees describing an engaging, passionate session full of practical ways to frame client conversations.
- Think Like an AFCA Insurance Decision-Maker (Thursday only) with April Blair and Greg Pickering. A real-life scenario gave attendees valuable insight into how the Australian Financial Complaints Authority makes insurance decisions.
The most common request across every session? More time.
Thursday Afternoon: Launching Our Digital Transformation Roadmap
After lunch and CPD sessions, we rounded out the day by officially launching our Digital Transformation Roadmap.
FCVic CEO Zyl Hovenga-Wauchope introduced the Roadmap with a reminder that financial counselling is, at its core, a human profession. But AI has exploded in the 12 months since the project’s funding agreement was signed, which makes this work extremely timely.
Funded by the Financial Counselling Industry Fund and developed with our project partners, Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW (FCAN) and Infoxchange, the Roadmap draws on surveys of agencies and financial counsellors across Victoria and NSW.
It’s an evidence-based starting point to help the sector respond safely to the changing digital landscape, in three volumes:
- AI sector use cases and a staged roadmap for adoption
- An AI Ethics Framework for financial counselling
- A Financial Counselling Systems Landscape Report
Throughout, one principle holds: professional judgement and decision-making stay with the financial counsellor.
Zyl was then joined by panellists Jo Parker, Keith Smith, Jen Freshwater, and James Happell. Jen reflected on the huge learning curve over the past year, both on the project and on AI in general, matched by a real leap in the quality of tools available. Her message: as a sector, we’re very capable together. James spoke to data sovereignty and the importance of choosing tools that store data in Australia, noting that even where providers make these promises, there are often plenty of asterisks. And in response to an audience question about a single system for the whole sector, the panel weighed up the pros and cons, agreeing that a one-size-fits-all approach can be tricky for a sector as diverse as ours.
To close the day, Zyl took us through the year in review, celebrating our wins and our growth as a team and organisation, and looking ahead to what’s next, including our 2027 Summit on economic abuse.
Thursday Evening: A Touch of Gold
On Thursday night, we swapped lanyards for a touch of gold at our Gala Awards Dinner, and what a sparkling crowd it was. What happens on the Gala Dinner dance floor stays on the Gala Dinner dance floor.
Most importantly, the night was a chance to celebrate some of the incredible people in our sector.
2026 Sector Awards
- Virginia Noonan Award: Kellie Davis
- Jan Pentland Memorial Award: Lylia Martion
- Rising Star Award: Simon Bignoux and Mandi Roberts
- Team Excellence Award: Women’s Legal Service Victoria Financial Counselling Team
You can read more about our awards on our Sector Awards and Recognition page.
Long-Serving Members Recognised
For many years, our long-serving financial counsellors have been the foundation for all the work FCVic undertakes, be it campaigns, professional development, or sector support. They are leaders, mentors, and vital resources, whose wealth of knowledge and experience is invaluable to the sector and the people we assist. As we do at our Gala Awards Dinner each year, we celebrated those members who achieved significant milestones in their service to the sector.
20 years of service: Gul Celik, Jenny Elvey, Marshall Scott, and Mark O’Sullivan.
10 or more years of service: Elyse Hoskins, Sonia Mete-Smith, Jacinta Morris, Graeme Parsons, Claire Tacon, Robert Watling, Troy West, Tracey Claridge, John Hastings, Julie King, Tahlia Brown, Deborah Craven, Amy Ferguson, Leanne Garth, Debbie Jacobs, Annique Jones, Trudi Laing, Anna McGee, Kylie McLoughlin, Sarah Moncrieff, Claire Raeburn, Wayne Sanders, and David Talbot.
FCVic congratulates and thanks these incredible people for their dedication, hard work, and professionalism.
Friday Morning: Connection, Purpose, and Lived Experience
Jane Pires kicked things off with an update from Financial Counselling Australia. She spoke about the need to understand unmet demand and strengthen service coordination, with a strong focus on First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Data makes decisions, so she encouraged everyone in the room to collect quality data. Jane also highlighted our highly skilled, diverse national workforce, and the work underway to make sure the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award reflects its value. Looking ahead, she spoke about future-proofing the profession, including financial literacy for young people, and making the value of financial counselling clear to decision-makers and the public.
Next, Marion Singer, Katia Sanderson, Corrina Graham, Michele Hodes, and Bronwyn Davis showed us what’s possible when services connect. Integrated practice brings financial counsellors together with lawyers, social workers, and other professionals, so clients get legal, emotional, social, and financial support in one place.
Katia shared how flexible funding has allowed integrated practice to grow, making room for more complex casework and deeper integration. Michele spoke about shared, collaborative workspaces where expertise flows both ways, and noted that while privacy and legal privilege can raise challenges, on balance integrated practice works very well. Corrina brought a regional and rural lens, and described how a social worker, lawyer, and financial counsellor working together means clients only have to tell their story once, keeping victim-survivors at the heart of the work. Marion highlighted the great outcomes that come from secondary consults, and Bronwyn shared how integration can extend into medical support for clients with complex needs, such as pregnant people. Katia also reminded us that this work can support clients to appear at royal commissions and hearings, driving change at a systemic level.
The message was clear: integrated practice should be the norm, not the exception. Bronwyn also challenged the banks in the room to take a multi-year approach to supporting victim-survivors of family violence.
Laura Pringle then gave the tortoise and the hare a fresh spin, asking whether we choose to run the race or simply get thrust into it. Her challenge: stay open and curious, link back to your values, and ask whether winning the race is even your true purpose.
Lina Miao took us on the journey from harm to reform in gambling, pointing to countries like Italy, Norway, and France as examples of strong regulation, and reminding us of the very real human cost of gambling harm.
To close the morning, Three Sides of the Coin gave us something completely different: an interactive performance from two actors with lived experience of gambling harm, moving through the audience and onto the stage to share their stories. With $36 billion lost to gambling in Australia each year, it was a powerful reminder of the person behind the numbers, the different pathways that draw people in, and the slow creep of harm, both for people who gamble and for those around them. Thank you for sharing your stories so bravely.
Friday Afternoon: Straight Talk and a Final Word
After lunch and CPD sessions, Courtney Hunt-Madden, Hannah Cook, and Georgina Antoun joined us from the other side of the table, giving us some straight talk from the debt collection industry.
Courtney shared new research on the power of face-to-face engagement. After connecting in person, 80% of people felt more respected and more in control of their finances, and many felt real relief. She also spoke about financial withdrawal, like ignoring letters and calls, and how it’s now treated as a red flag that someone needs support, not more chasing.
Hannah spoke about embedding safety by design, and what human-led, human-centred AI could look like in the recovery space. She left us with a big question: is it possible to train an AI agent for empathy?
Georgina took us through how debts can be sold and resold with no limit on penalties and fees, and how pressure from debt sellers can push collectors towards poor practice, such as going harder and defaulting quicker. Refreshingly, she also spoke about not purchasing debts that come with red flags, such as family violence, where the debt should never reasonably have been raised in the first place.
Annette Devereaux then led a fabulous reflective exercise filling in ‘Pursuit Notes’ postcards, inviting us to look back on everything we’d heard and learned, and think forward to what we’ll take with us. It was great to hear from so many attendees in the audience, and we were honoured to have a thank-you song from our Aotearoa guests.
To close, Zyl spoke about quiet persistence: adapting without losing sight of what’s at the heart of financial counselling, which is the client, the person, and their context. He celebrated the curiosity, thoughtfulness, and deep listening that financial counsellors bring to their work, and left us with a final message: the pursuit is clear, but it’s not always simple.
Missed a Slide? We’ve Got You
Want to revisit a session or share what you learned with your team? Presenter slides from the FCVic 2026 Conference are now available. We’ve shared slides for most sessions with the presenters’ permission, but some aren’t available, including some of the CPD sessions.
- Click here to access CPD slides in an EasyGenerator course. Note, you will be asked to create an EasyGenerator account to access this resource. Email [email protected] if you have queries about the CPD slides.
Click the following to download .zip files of:
- Thursday morning slides (approx. 26MB)
- Thursday afternoon slides (approx. 42MB)
- Friday morning slides (approx. 30MB)
What You Told Us
Thank you to the 78 people who completed our post-Conference survey. Your feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
- 92% rated the Conference 4 or 5 out of 5 overall, with more than half giving it full marks
- 96% said it met its advertised objectives well, and 93% said it met their personal objectives
- Networking was the number one reason people came, followed by content and professional development
The breakout sessions were a real highlight, especially practical sessions like Shame, Stigma and Money; The Sheriff Is Back; When Small Business Debts Become Personal; and our session on the new Code of Ethical Practice. Many of you said you wanted more of them, and for longer.
As one attendee put it: “Loved it. Such hard work by the FCVic team. You are a great bunch and it reflects in your work.”
Thank You
A huge thank you to every speaker, panellist, sponsor, and attendee who made In Pursuit such a special three days. Thank you also to our conference organiser, Melanie Keenan at Defining Events, and to the team at the Pullman Melbourne, Albert Park.
We’ll see you in March for our 2027 Economic Abuse Summit. Keep an eye out for more details soon.