QUALIFICATIONS

During the early part of Marius’ career, he qualified and worked as a mechanical project and design engineer. His career soon took a different path when he became involved in marketing in the engineering field. During this time Marius obtained qualifications in marketing management as well as business management. Being an entrepreneur, he started his own business in 1993 and in 1997 he entered the financial services industry. After 1 year with a leading major assurer Marius realised that to provide a truly impartial professional service to his clients he needed to be independent and he joined a prominent independent financial service company who was bought out by PSG. He went on to become a director of the PSG associated company.

As in the past, Marius believed that you must obtain the relevant qualifications irrespective what your occupation is. Within 3 years of joining the financial services industry he completed his Post Graduate Dilploma in Financial Planning and was admitted as a CFP ®. His Post Graduate Diploma was followed up with an Advanced Post Graduate Diploma majoring in Investment Portfolio construction and advanced Estate Planning.

EXPERIENCE & AWARDS

In 2001 Marius started his own financial planning business and at the end of 2004 a major audit firm approached Marius to join them to manage their financial advisory firm. Marius became shareholder, the lead advisor and COO of the company where he spent 8 years. During his tenure at the audit firm Marius employed Louis van der Merwe in 2009. The 2 of them often had discussions around optimising client service and providing quality specialized service. After not being able to convince the major shareholders and directors of their then employer, Wealthup was born in 2012 by the joint efforts of Marius and Louis.

Marius has gained experience across all the sectors within the financial services industry and he was witness to how the industry changed over the many years that he has been involved. Marius was one of the early adopters in 2002 to charge professional fees rather than earn commission.

Marius was one of the founding members of the Allan Gray Independent Advisor Forum in 2006 where he still serves today.

PERSONAL

As much as Marius is an entrepreneur, he is also an adventurist. He was a paratrooper in the SANDF, successfully competed in triathlons, road running, river kayaking, road cycling, mountain biking and motor racing. He has also bungy jumped off bridges and abseiled down Table Mountain. He has admitted that he is now too “old” for all that “stuff” and now sticks to only mountain biking and motorcycling.Marius is married, he has 2 daughters and 4 grand-children.

Marius is as passionate about financial planning today as he ever was. The gratitude when you make a difference in someone’s life, whether it is guiding them over a period of 20 years to their retirement, improving their cashflow or assisting the family when a death occurs and supporting them through difficult times is immeasurable. We speak about clients as part of the Wealthup family. Family is a group of people you deeply care about and who you know intimately.