Sergio Porfirio
Sergio is a Senior Investment Adviser at Shaw and Partners in Canberra, working with high-net-worth individuals, self-managed super funds, and inheritances. He’s been advising clients since October 1999, with a career spent navigating the tech bubble, 9/11, the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and COVID.
“I’ve lived through it all,” he recalls. “One thing that clients value, I believe, is experienced advisers who know what to do in challenging circumstances. Steady hands are essential.”
After completing his degree majoring in Economics at Sydney University, he began a role at Bankers Trust in funds management, becoming a Macquarie trainee broker in 1999, then spent eight years at Citigroup and moved back to Macquarie for a decade before moving to Shaw and Partners in 2019.
Sergio came to the profession the long way. The degree he finished at Sydney University in the middle of the 1991 recession was in agricultural economics, which is not the most obvious path into equity markets.
Eventually, he began a role at Bankers Trust in funds management, became a Macquarie trainee broker in 1999, then spent eight years at Citigroup and a decade at Macquarie before moving to Shaw and Partners in 2019.
The move to Canberra came around the same time, and that one was a family decision. “Sydney, the traffic, the congestion, the big mortgage we had. Your dollar goes a bit further in Canberra. We’re a snowboarding family. Being closer to the snow was attractive,” Sergio said. “Canberra is one of those hidden gems that people don’t really appreciate.”
Quality Investment Advice for Canberrans
The bulk of Sergio’s work at Shaw & Partners is investment advice on share portfolios (Australian and international), along with fixed interest, term deposits, separately managed accounts and other listed and unlisted vehicles.
“If you are a long-term investor, if you are disciplined, [shares] are a great way to build wealth…”
~ Sergio Porfirio
Most people who come in are excited to talk about returns, but Sergio’s job is to start with a fundamental risk assessment. “The ideal client is someone who has a bit of knowledge about investing, and understands risk,” he reflects. “Understanding risk before you get advice is really important.”
About Shaw & Partners
Shaw and Partners has been around for more than 35 years and, since 2021, has been wholly owned by EFG International, a Swiss private banking group. The Australian operation manages over $50 billion in client assets and conducts in-house research alongside its long-standing partner, UBS, which was recently voted one of Australia’s best research houses by fund managers for 2026. But it’s not all about business, the Shaw and Partners philosophy of giving back to the community, has led to their Foundation raising over $15million for various charities since 2015.
Each adviser runs their own business within the larger Shaw & Partners corporate framework, which keeps the client relationship personal while the institutional backing provides compliance, scale and opportunities for investors.
What that backing has unlocked recently is access to off-market deals that smaller firms can’t reach. “We’ve recently partnered up with a private equity group in the US, which has given us access to tech deals for our clients that you can’t normally get,” Sergio comments.
For experienced high-net-worth clients, the firm can now offer exposure to unlisted tech investments and pre-IPO opportunities. The firm also runs an active foundation, which, nationally, has raised millions for not-for-profits over the years.
AI vs The Human Touch
Sergio uses AI as a tool, part of his toolbox, not a replacement for the relationship. He’s watched robo-advice models come and go, and he’s clear-eyed about why they haven’t stuck for his client base. Investors want to pick up the phone and talk to a person who knows their situation, understands what they’re worried about, and will be reachable even when markets move sharply. That’s the level of personalised service Sergio’s practice has been built on for over 25 years.
High Achiever Inside And Outside The Office
Beyond the office, Sergio walks the family’s two dogs and snow sports with his wife and son. He used to be an ultra-marathon runner, completing a hundred-kilometre event in 2014 that raised around eight thousand dollars for charity through his team.
If you need advice on managing a share portfolio, an inheritance to think through, or a self-managed super fund that needs a steady hand in these challenging times, Sergio Porfirio is worth a call.
Sergio Porfirio is a Senior Investment Adviser at Shaw and Partners, Canberra. If he sounds like the kind of investment advisor you’ve been looking for, view his full profile at shawandpartners.com.au.