Joanna Sun

Co-Founder, Emerald Family Enterprise Group

Drawing from her own background as a member of a family office navigating succession challenges and family conflict amongst the Generation 1 to 3, Joanna understands firsthand the intersection of family dynamics, governance needs, and wealth continuity. This personal experience, combined with her expertise in building family office advisory boards, enables her to create governance frameworks that honor both family relationships and business imperatives.

Joanna specialises in designing tailored governance structures for family offices and navigating the complex emotional dynamics of multigenerational wealth transitions. With extensive experience working with global families of significant wealth, she bringsa trauma-informed approach to succession planning, recognising how rapid wealth creation and family complexity impact decision-making across generations.

Born in China and raised in Australia, Joanna brings deep cultural intelligence to her work with Asian family enterprises and transnational wealth structures. She focuses on family enterprise planning, succession strategy, next-generation development, and establishing governance systems that support healthy family dynamics while protecting wealth across borders and generations.

Joanna holds a double Bachelor's degree in Business Management and Arts and a Master's degree in Financial Planning. Her specialised credentials include Certified Family Advisor and Advanced Certificate Family Advisor (Family Firm Institute), Certified Executive Chair (Advisory Board Centre), and the Company Director course (AICD).

Paul Burgon

Chief Executive & CIO, Lipman Burgon

Paul is the Managing Partner and CIO of Lipman Burgon & Partners, focussing on sophisticated investment solutions for private clients and family offices. 

As a founding member of Lipman Burgon & Partners, Paul has embedded a culture that puts clients’ interests ahead of the firm’s growth. He leads the investment and advisory teams and acts as Lead Adviser to family offices, tailoring investment programs, building governance frameworks, and managing succession programs. 

With over two decades of experience across market cycles and having previously worked with Goldman Sachs, JBWere and Investec Private Bank, Paul is highly experienced in multi-asset portfolio construction strategies and allocation across public and private market assets. He has deep expertise in allocation modelling and manager due diligence with a network that unlocks unique investment opportunities for clients. 

Paul is a key member of Lipman Burgon & Partners’ Investment Committee and has several academic and professional qualifications. These include a Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning, a Master of Applied Finance, and is recognised as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA). 

For three consecutive years, he has been ranked among Australia’s Top 25 Financial Advisers by US financial investment publication Barron’s.