Philo People

Advice firms using Philo Capital Advisers can benefit from the extensive experience of its two principals, Brett Sanders and Toby Potter, and the senior Philo team.

Meet the team

Close-up of a man with gray hair, glasses, smiling, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and a pink and blue striped tie.

Brett Sanders - Chief Executive Officer

Brett has been actively involved in designing and implementing managed account services since 2009 and co-founded Philo Capital Advisers in 2011. He was a driving force in seeing it grow to over $3.2 billion in investor funds under advice in just over 3 years. He brings extensive experience in asset consulting, financial services technology and general management to his role at Philo.

Close-up portrait of a middle-aged man with glasses, short gray hair, and a friendly smile, wearing a suit and tie against a plain background.

Toby Potter - Executive Director

Toby is one of Australia's most experienced and successful managed account executives. Prior to joining Philo, Toby was responsible for platform strategy and managed accounts at IOOF and, before that, Shadforths group. Toby is the Chair of the Institute of Managed Account Professionals (IMAP).

A man with light skin, dark brown hair combed back, wearing a black suit and a white shirt, standing in front of a pastel pink wall.

James Freeman - Head of Investment

James brings Australian and offshore experience in product development and model portfolio design to his role as Head of Investments. His career at Macquarie Bank involved him working closely with the platform, wealth management and private banking businesses. He is a CFA Charterholder and has a Master of Commerce degree from the University of NSW.

Close-up of a smiling man wearing a light gray blazer and white shirt, standing against a plain neutral background.

Jacob Kettler - Head of Relationships & Implementation

Jacob brings a breadth of experience across investments, insurance, advice and software. Since 2009 he has held roles in advice, sales, compliance, consulting and practice management with leading organisations Macquarie, CommSec, BT, Morningstar and intelliflo. His passion is helping advice firms and licensees to grow, and he sees the adoption of MDAs as the next evolution in practice efficiency. His role at Philo focuses on rolling out MDA services with client firms and educating prospects and industry stakeholders on the benefits to both their clients and businesses..

Young man smiling wearing glasses, dark suit, white shirt, striped tie, standing against a light-colored wall with a height measurement chart and a sign reading 'DO NOT' partially visible.

Jemmy Pola - Head of Operations

Jemmy has over thirteen years in the financial services industry. He is a highly focused investment operations manager with experience spanning operations, business transformation and project management. Jemmy has deep specialisation in managed discretionary accounts (MDAs), having spent the majority of his working life managing MDA operations and seeing the different ways that MDA services can be deployed. In addition to his operational focus, he has a strong understanding of how managed accounts extend the value proposition of advice businesses.

A woman with long reddish-brown hair and pearl earrings smiling in front of a plain gray wall, wearing a black top with gold studded details.

Jessica Zhang - Senior Manager, Portfolio Administration

Jessica is a highly focused Investment Operations Manager with expertise spanning operations, financial administration and compliance. She specialises in Managed Discretionary Accounts (MDAs) and understands how they extend the value of advice businesses. Her strong foundational knowledge, attention to detail and client-focused mindset all contribute to her success in the role. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Professional Accounting from Macquarie University and has completed professional certificates in compliance and markets.

A man wearing glasses, a dark suit, and a light blue shirt, standing against a plain background.

Long Nguyen - Senior Manager, Portfolio Administration

Long Nguyen is an experienced financial services professional with a strong background across operations, custody, managed funds administration, SMSF, and trusts and estates. His roles at HUB24, Clearstream, Link Market Services, and Perpetual have equipped him to oversee high-value transactions and serve as a trusted point of contact for clients and counterparties.

Headshot of a young man with curly dark hair, wearing glasses, and a black collared shirt, smiling subtly against a plain background.

Dennis Orboc - Portfolio Administration Associate

Dennis comes to Philo with a Bachelor of Science degree and 7 years experience in technical support and customer service roles. He has been specialising in MDAs since 2025.

Professional woman with black hair, wearing a navy blazer and white shirt, smiling against a white background.

Fren Bacarisas — Portfolio Administration Associate

Fren has over six years of experience in the banking sector in customer service related roles. Fren holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She has been specialising in MDAs since 2025.