Melbourne, 11 August 2026. Dominium Capital Financial Advisers Pty Ltd is pleased to announce that its founder and principal adviser, Sean Dunne, has been named a finalist in the Adviser of the Year – High Net Worth category at the 2026 Australian Wealth Management Awards.
Sean is one of ten advisers shortlisted in the high-net-worth category, which recognises advisers working with clients whose financial affairs span complex structures, significant investable assets and multi-generational planning. The category is one of the most competitive on the awards calendar because it assesses technical depth and client outcomes together — not marketing reach.
For a boutique Melbourne practice built on referrals rather than advertising, the shortlisting is a meaningful external check on the way Dominium Capital has chosen to work: fewer clients, deeper relationships, and advice that treats a business owner’s personal wealth and their company as one connected problem.
What the award actually measures
The Australian Wealth Management Awards assess advisers on the substance of their practice: how advice is constructed, how risk is managed, how fees are disclosed, and what clients actually experience over time. The high-net-worth category adds another layer — it looks at whether an adviser can hold together the moving parts that come with substantial wealth.
That usually means superannuation and SMSF structures sitting alongside a family trust, a company, and a property portfolio; a business exit somewhere on the horizon; and an estate plan that has to work for people who may never meet the adviser. Getting one of those right is straightforward. Getting all of them pointing the same direction is the job.
- Technical depth — the adviser’s ability to work across tax, superannuation, structuring and estate planning without losing the thread.
- Client outcomes — evidence that the strategy was implemented, reviewed and adjusted, not just presented.
- Professional standards — transparency on fees, conflicts and the basis of advice.
- Complexity handled — whether the adviser can operate at the level high-net-worth clients require.
Twenty-five years, four markets
Sean has worked in financial advice for more than 25 years and established Dominium Capital Group in 2010. Before that he was National Manager for ING Financial Planning at ING Australia, and has taught financial subjects for Kaplan Education, which cited him as a “leading industry expert”.
He has advised clients in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Spain, which is where the practice’s global perspective on structuring came from — and why cross-border questions tend to be a starting point rather than an afterthought.
His qualifications include a Master of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Commerce, a Diploma of Financial Advising, Specialist SMSF Adviser (SSA™), Financial Planner Associate (AFP®), Accredited Finance Broker (AFB) and membership of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
The practice behind the nomination
Dominium Capital is a private wealth advisory built for ambitious business owners and high-earning professionals. The firm works across business and personal financial advice, SMSF and superannuation strategy, investment structuring, finance broking and estate planning — deliberately under one roof, because the alternative is a client managing four advisers who each see a quarter of the picture.
Our position has always been that wealth should be a positive force rather than a source of anxiety. That is a harder promise to keep than it sounds. It requires advice that is documented, reviewed and explained in language a client can act on — not a product recommendation dressed up as a strategy.
Where it was covered
The announcement was carried by financial and general news outlets including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Associated Press, Benzinga, Apple News, StreetInsider, Substack and the Fox 8 news network.
As Seen In
What this means if you are considering advice
Awards are a proxy, not a proof. What they are useful for is narrowing a shortlist: they tell you a panel of judges looked at an adviser’s technical work and client outcomes and found them worth scrutinising further. The rest of the decision still belongs to you — the first conversation, the quality of the questions, and whether the adviser is listening for your situation rather than reaching for a template.
If you are a business owner or high-income professional working through a decision that has outgrown a spreadsheet — a sale, a restructure, a property purchase, an inheritance, or simply the realisation that your affairs have become more complicated than your current plan accounts for — that is the conversation we are built for.
Sean offers an obligation-free initial discovery call. You can book a discovery session here, or read more about Sean and the Dominium Capital team.
Dominium Capital Financial Advisers Pty Ltd. This article is general information only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not financial product advice. Consider seeking advice tailored to your circumstances before acting.