Freedom to build, protect and prosper
Cass Smith, Founder
Mary-Jane (MJ) Liddicoat, Managing Director, FreedomFFS
Peta Demczyszyn, Managing Director, Freedom Financial Partners
At the helm of Freedom Financial Solutions and Freedom Financial Partners are three women driven by purpose and experience: founder Cass Smith and managing directors Peta Demczyszyn and Mary-Jane Liddicoat. Together, they’re helping Australians take charge of their finances and build stronger futures for their families. From superannuation and self-managed funds to asset protection and succession planning, their approach combines education, empowerment and empathy to create financial freedom that truly lasts.
Tell us about your organisation, how long you have been there and your role within it.
With decades of awarded public and private financial and accounting experience, Cass Smith founded Freedom Financial Solutions FFS in response to the increasing financial challenges and pressures that everyday Australians have faced since 2020.
Under the Freedom Financial Partners umbrella, three women with decades of experience — founder Cass, and managing directors Peta and Mary-Jane — help Australians take control of their families’ finances, especially their superannuation and intergenerational wealth.
Can you share your career journey so far and how it brought you to your current role?
Cass and Peta are lifelong financial experts and accountants dedicated to helping men and women control their financial energy for their families — now and for generations.
Cass is a highly accomplished, multi-qualified financial professional with over three decades of experience across taxation, business, SMSFs, finance, mortgages, property, and share market investing. She is a qualified accountant, registered tax agent, mortgage broker, licensed real estate agent, property adviser, and a specialist in Succession, Asset Protection & Estate Planning (SAPEP). Her career spans both public and private sectors, including over 11 years at the Australian Taxation Office, where she served as a Senior Fraud Investigator and Director. A recognised leader in her field, Cass was named the 2019 Telstra Business Woman of the Year (ACT) and has received more than 50 awards across the ACT, NSW, and national levels for excellence in financial services.
Committed to standing up where it counts, she ran as the Canberra candidate for the United Australia Party in the 2022 federal election and is the Queensland Senate candidate for the HEART Party in 2025.
Peta is the Managing Director of sister company Freedom Financial Partners. As a qualified accountant with more than a decade of experience in the industry, Peta brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise and a passion for helping people achieve financial security in retirement.
As a dedicated SMSF accountant, Peta specialises in SMSF accounting and compliance. Peta possesses an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the complex SMSF regulatory landscape and stays up to date with the latest industry trends and changes.
Beyond her technical expertise, she excels at building strong relationships with clients and is committed to providing exceptional service and going the extra mile and enhancing business systems to make it even easier for clients to stay on top of their finances.
Mary-Jane joined FFS in 2022 to expand the SMSF Setup Division and now serves as Managing Director. She is a SAPEPAA-accredited adviser, Board of Guardians professional and Justice of the Peace (ACT), providing human-focused guidance on succession, asset protection and estate planning, and leads regular free education sessions for clients and community groups.
With decades of experience across public, private and international sectors — including service as a senior public servant and diplomat — she brings deep cross-cultural, negotiation and education skills and is an internationally recognised author. An award-winning small-business owner and community advocate, Mary-Jane has led major civic initiatives (Freedom Day, Millions March, Convoy to Canberra, Australia Unites) and was invited to stand as a HEART Party candidate in the 2022 and 2025 federal elections.
The team’s client-first vision is practical: build robust asset-protection and estate-planning structures — SMSFs, trusts and succession guardrails — that hold under stress, not just on paper.
What advice do you have for the next generation of women in business?
Own your niche and set your standards; Walk the talk — practice the ‘do as we do’ model, not the ‘do as we say’; Speak plainly and educate clearly; Build solid processes, ensure quality is checked; Choose partners who match your commitment; Price to reflect your value.
About Freedom Financial Partners
Who we are: Founder Cass Smith and managing directors Peta Demczyszyn and Mary-Jane Liddicoat: three women, decades of combined experience
What we do: Empower Australians to take control of their families’ finances, especially their superannuation and intergenerational wealth, including through self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and succession, asset protection and estate planning strategies.
How we work: Education first, then a clear, compliant plan and disciplined execution
Why it matters: Tax-only structures often fail under stress; we prioritise control, succession and protection for family generations to come
Freedom Financial Solutions FFS
- Based in Canberra, serving people Australia-wide
- T: 1300 333 121
- E: [email protected]
- W: freedomffs.com.au
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