Webinar speaker biographies

Vivienne James 
Financial planner, investor educator and author of best-seller The Woman's Money Book.   
 
Vivienne has spent almost 30 years in the finance industry, having joined BT Australia Limited in December 1980. In 2004, she joined Investec as a partner and director of Investec Private Advisers - a role involving financial planning strategies on investment and superannuation. In 2008, she joined Next Financial Limited as a private adviser however, after a number of changes in the markets, she decided to set up on her own under the Madison Financial Group, where she works with three other advisers.

Vivienne has sat on the board of Sydney Dance Company (1999 - 2009); University of Western Sydney Foundation (2000 - current); and The University of Western Sydney Board (2007 - current).

In 1996, she wrote The Woman's Money Book, which sold over 100,000 copies and is now in its third edition.  The aim of the book was to provide an A-Z of finance, dealing with the practicalities of everyday financial management.

Julianne Dowling 
Writer and Commentator, Personal Finance

Julianne is a well known writer and commentator on personal finance for women and small business issues, and has worked on some of the leading retail investor campaigns in Australia, such as the early privatisations; the launch of electronic bill payment through BPAY and the launch of the first large online broking houses and research houses.

She has regularly contributed to Fairfax Media www.smallbusiness.com.au, syndicating through The Age, The Brisbane Times and The Sydney Morning Herald weekend business sections and was a regular writer on money matters in VIVE and Notebook magazines, CPA In the Black magazine, Sunday Telegraph Money, The Australian Wealth section and Money Management.

As author of All About the Money, Honey! Financial Recipes for success! (Wrightbooks 2007), Julianne was invited to be involved with financial literacy initiatives for women with ANZ bank; spots on radio shows, such as Talking Life in Brisbane, and Mortgage Choice research on property.

Julianne has undertaken an Economics degree at Sydney University and has almost completed her Diploma of Financial Planning with Kaplan.