AMP planners picked up two of the three Financial Planning Association’s National Best Practice Awards at a reception in Melbourne on Friday night.
Shane Lenehan from Charter Financial Planning received the FPA’s Best Practice Award and Mark O’Leary from AMP Financial Planning was awarded the FPA Future 2 Community Service Best Practice Award.
The FPA’s National Best Practice Awards were announced in Melbourne on 16 November and recognise superior outcomes for clients when professional financial planning expertise is provided. Entrants were also judged on practice management, business model, professional development, client testimonials and work in the community.
Shane Lenehan, Charter Financial Planning
AFP Best Practice Award – National and Victorian winner
Shane Lenehan of Silver Ridge Financial Services and authorised representative of Charter Financial Planning has been awarded the FPA’s Best Practice Award. The award recognises the achievements of advisers who deliver a higher standard of professional and trusted advice and display a commitment to professional development.
On winning the award Shane Lenehan said: “For me, it’s never about a one-off transaction, it’s all about encouraging an ongoing relationship that helps ensure my clients’ short and long-term goals are met.
“Identifying and implementing strategies to help my clients achieve their life goals is the best part of my job. To ensure I continue to do this in the most effective way, it’s important that I maintain a strong focus on my own professional development.”
Mark O’Leary, AMP Financial Planning
Future 2 Community Service Award –National and Victorian winner
AMP financial planner Mark O’Leary, Managing Director of Eluvia, was awarded the FPA Future2 National Community Best Practise Award. This award goes to a planner who has, in a pro bono or public service capacity, made an outstanding contribution to improving the circumstances of the most socially excluded or financially disadvantaged members of the community.
Eluvia is one of the AMP practices registered with the Cancer Council to provide pro bono financial planning services to help patients with cancer-related financial issues, such as early access to superannuation or insurance benefits and mortgage hardship.
Eluvia has worked on four pro bono cases and is now piloting a program with an accounting firm to provide these services to small and medium sized business in distress due to their owner’s illness.
Mark O’Leary said taking part in the Cancer Council pro bono program allows him to use his expertise to help families remove some of the financial pressures families of cancer patients face so they can focus on getting better.
“Our objective as financial planners is to assist families to not only build assets but to protect them against the consequences of illness or death. This program really brings to life the implications for families who are underinsured or have not sought quality financial advice,” Mr O’Leary said.
AMP financial planner Hari Maragos was awarded the Future 2 Community Service Award Runner up for Victoria, and also picked up the Distinguished Service Award for Victoria.
Hillross financial adviser Wayne Moriarty from Moriarty Financial Services was awarded the Fellow Award for Victoria, which recognises those that have made an outstanding and selfless contribution to the profession and the community
