Focus Partners Australia & Escala Partners

Escala Partners is an Australian wealth management and investment advisory firm serving high-net-worth individuals and families, family offices, and not-for-profit organisations. Its services are designed around clients’ financial objectives and include personalised investment advice, portfolio planning, asset allocation and access to investment opportunities. The firm describes its approach as focused on creating and preserving wealth while putting clients’ interests first.

Escala was founded in 2013 by investment industry professionals seeking an alternative to what they saw as inherent biases in traditional wealth management. The founders established a collegiate model in which the team shares responsibility for client service and investment work. In 2019, Escala partnered with Focus Financial Partners and joined its global network of wealth management, business management and related financial services firms. On 1 July 2025, Escala became a wholly owned member of Focus Partners Australia.

The firm’s client groups include high-net-worth investors, families, family offices and not-for-profit organisations. Its advisory offering includes wealth and investment planning for high-net-worth clients, family-office advice and support for not-for-profits. The latter includes asset-allocation advice, bespoke investment solutions and environmental, social and governance considerations. Escala also has a Direct Investment Group, which works with clients interested in direct investment opportunities and direct fixed-income investments.

Escala’s Chief Investment Office supports its advisory work through strategic investment planning and tactical asset allocation. The firm says its process draws on research and monitoring of markets, economies, asset classes and fund managers. That research is applied with regard to each client’s circumstances and risk-and-return profile. The company also notes that its investment research is conducted internally and sourced from domestic and international providers, with access to market intelligence through the broader Focus network.

The company presents collaboration, research, innovation and personalised service as central to its work. Its stated investment approach is to develop tailored strategies, avoid bias toward a single source of return and manage risks associated with broader economic trends. The firm describes its guiding principles as knowledge-sharing, partnership, trust, a record of experience and a commitment to excellence. These principles inform both client relationships and its internal team culture.

Escala’s website describes a workplace that values collaboration, respect, high standards and continued development. It says team members are trusted to create opportunities and build supportive relationships, with expertise spanning wealth management, research, internal services and client relationships. The firm combines this boutique service approach with the resources available through Focus Partners Australia and the wider Focus network.

Escala lists its Melbourne office at Level 19, 90 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, and its Sydney office at Governor Macquarie Tower, Level 25, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney, New South Wales. Its published main office telephone numbers are 03 8651 2600 for Melbourne and 02 9102 2600 for Sydney. The official website identifies the business as Escala Partners Pty Ltd.