Sam Henderson pleads guilty to dishonesty

In a statement, the corporate regulator said its case against Sam Henderson related to alleged false representations he had made in a number of client presentations and marketing materials, stating that he held a master of commerce when he did not hold that qualification.

ASIC said Mr Henderson, the former chief executive of advice group Henderson Maxwell, had purported to hold the qualification in 115 PowerPoint presentations between 2010 and 2016, on the Henderson Maxwell website from October 2012 to August 2016, in Henderson Maxwell brochures distributed between 2013 and 2017 and in an information memorandum dated May 2011.

The dishonest conduct offence relating to these incidents carried a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment, ASIC said.

ASIC further alleged Mr Henderson had given two clients in 2014 and 2016 a financial services guide, also containing the false representation that he held a master of commerce.

The two defective disclosure offences relating to these incidents carried a maximum sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment for each.

ASIC made further allegations that Mr Henderson had represented himself as having the same qualification in a book published in 2013, an interview conducted to promote an educational institution’s master’s course, and some of his professional biographies and descriptions.

Following his entering of a guilty plea to one “rolled-up” charge encompassing the three offences on Tuesday, Mr Henderson will be sentenced in the Downing Centre Local Court on 13 October.