MOvember, the annual charitable event which has captured the hearts, minds and faces of the financial services industry this month, finishes with shaving celebrations in Sydney and Melbourne this week.

In Sydney, at the Aurora Bar, Aurora Place, tomorrow night, Future Fund and ARIA director Susan Doyle will judge the best hirsute effort, while in Melbourne, at Becco bar, on Thursday night, Unisuper boss Ann Byrne will preside. According to one of the Melbourne organisers, Kimon Kouryialas of Legg Mason, the financial services industry might raise $100,000 for the MOvember cause for the first time this year. Photographed after 21 days of moustache growth, Kouryialas said that he received many comments about his appearance, with common suggestions likening him to either Sadam Hussein or Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Borat’. “My favourite was ‘a very young-looking Burt Reynolds,” he said, somewhat lacking in conviction. Sydney attendees among fund executives are expected to include: Jeremy Edmunds (Qantas), Michael Block (Workcover), Michael Cole (State Super), Michael Dwyer and Tom Parry (First State Super) and Steve Gibbs (ARIA). In Melbourne, fund executives are expected to include: Terry McCreddin and Steve Merlicek (Tesltra), David St John (Unisuper), Paul Costello (Future Fund) and Syd Bone and Leo de Bever (VFMC). For attendance details: Sydney – sarah_moore@ssga.com Or Melbourne – Kkouryialas@LMUS.LeggMason.com