The FAAA Awards recognise members who deliver the highest standards of professional and trusted financial advice to Australian consumers, as well as those who are going above and beyond to support their local communities. The awards also highlight the outstanding university students who represent the bright future of the financial advice profession.

The finalists in the 2023 FAAA Awards for each professional category are:

FAAA CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional of the Year Award – finalists

• Hamish Landreth CFP®: Prosperity Advisers Group (QLD)
• Martin McGrath CFP®: Financial Edge Group (NSW)
• Bianca Musico CFP®: Warr Hunt (VIC)

FAAA Adviser of the Year (Sponsored by Zurich) – finalists

• Sacha Burchgart: Burcheart (NSW)
• Robin Sandover: The Wealth Designers (WA)
• Jordan Vaka: PlanningSolo (VIC) 

FAAA Inspire Women – Excellence in Advice Award (Sponsored by TAL) – finalists

• Kathy Havers CFP®: Viridian Advisory (VIC)
• Kelly King: Iconic Wealth (WA)
• Cara Williams: Sufficient Funds (QLD)

FAAA Professional Practice of the Year (Sponsored by Cbus Super) – finalists

• Boutique Advisers (WA)
• Future Gen Solutions (QLD)
• Warr Hunt (VIC)

FAAA Gen Next Rising Star of the Year – finalists

• Jayden Adams: Adams Financial Group (QLD)
• Scott Hendy: Focused Advisers (QLD)
• Jennifer Laing: Modern You Financial Planners (QLD)

FAAA University Student of the Year – finalists

• Jenna Bonaccorsi: Griffith University
• Rojen Legaspi: Deakin University
• Jacob Eliopoulos: Deakin University

FAAA chief executive officer Sarah Abood said: “The inaugural FAAA Awards shine a light on the positive contributions that financial advisers make to their clients’ well-being and security through quality financial advice.

“The FAAA Awards celebrate the commitment, talent, and passion of so many advisers within our profession.

“A huge congratulations to all the 2023 finalists. We have received so many exemplary applications that narrowing each category to just three finalists in each category was an incredibly difficult task for our judges.

“Each finalist has demonstrated a tireless dedication to their profession, their clients and their communities, improving the lives of Australians for the better,” Ms Abood said.

The winners in each category will be announced at the FAAA Awards Gala Dinner at the FAAA Congress in Adelaide on 21 November.  

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Kathy Havers

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has tonight announced Kathy Havers CFP® from Catalyst Financial Group in Melbourne, as the winner of the 2016 Future2 Community Service Award. Ms Havers also won the Award in 2014.

FPA CEO Dante De Gori said, “Kathy is a well-deserved winner of this award. Her tireless commitment to community service and philanthropy through her volunteer work with remote indigenous communities, and helping other families living with disabilities, is nothing short of inspirational.”

The Future2 Community Service Award recognises FPA members who have made an outstanding contribution to improving the circumstances of the most socially excluded or financially disadvantaged members of the community in a pro-bono, volunteering or community service capacity.

Ms Havers is Director of the Kindred Spirits Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that supports Aboriginal people and their communities. In this part-time volunteer role she has held for eight years, she manages projects that empower people in remote areas of Australia.

Ms Havers also helps establish entities focused on enterprise development in these remote communities. These entities are established as co-operatives with aboriginal community organisations, with the aim for them to be members and ultimately take over the governance. In the early stages of development, Ms Havers leads the business strategic development teams and acts as Responsible Officer and Finance Manager.

In addition to this, Ms Havers provides support to Bulleen Heights Specialist School (BHS) for children with autism. For the past nine years she has been a School Councillor, and President for the last four years. She is involved in overseeing the financial management of School Council funds and actively working on additional fundraising.

“I am so fortunate that my day job allows me to actively assist people improve their life outcomes. In the not-for-profit world, the objectives are the same; improving the prospects for wellbeing of all people and all communities, every day. I am honoured to receive such an award, as the people I’ve met and the projects I have had the privilege to be a part of, and to impact, are by far my greatest personal achievements and an amazing personal reward already,” said Ms Havers.

Ms Havers has a son who is severely disabled and living with autism. At the school she conducts regular seminars for families living with disabilities, applying her own experience to provide strategies to make their difficult pathway easier and more planned.

The Future2 Community Service Award was presented at the Future2 Gala Dinner of the FPA Professionals Congress.

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Kathy Havers

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA), last week announced Kathy Havers from Catalyst Financial Group as the national winner of the 2014 Future2 Community Service of the Year Award. Ms Havers also won the 2014 State Award in Victoria.

The Future2 Community Service Award recognises FPA members who have, 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.

Mr Mark Rantall FPA CEO noted that the Future2 awards are in tune with the theme for this year’s Professional Congress ‘Inspiring Greatness’: “Ms Havers has inspired greatness with her commitment to improving the lives of disadvantaged young Australians.”

Kathy is passionate about community service and philanthropy. She is Director of the Kindred Sprits Foundation and is activity involved in the Palgun Wurnagat Women’s Association in a remote area of the Northern Territory. She assisted with the purchase of a processing plant for native Northern Territory food which has created jobs for 200 indigenous people – jobs that were not otherwise available in their community.

Kathy also conducts talks about finance for Autism Victoria – a support group for parents with autistic children and provides free one on one sessions with families to help them navigate the system which is made all that more difficult and complex with a child with a disability.

She was excited to learn of her win, saying “You haven’t truly lived until you have done something wonderful for someone who can never possibly repay you. I am very humbled and honoured to receive the award from the Future2 Foundation who are doing some wonderful work, everyone should get on board.”

Steve Helmich, Director of Advice and Client Solutions at AMP and one of the judges of the Future2 Community Service Award. Mr Helmich said: “There were some outstanding candidates this year that are committed to improving the circumstances of the most socially excluded and financially disadvantaged members of the community. All Australians deserve access to trusted advice, and this award is testament to how financial planners can make a real difference to the wider community.”

Runners up include WA State Winner Joseph Hoe from Wealthwise and NSW State Winner William Johns from Health and Finance Integrated.

The FPA Awards were presented during the FPA Professionals Congress in Adelaide on 19th – 21st of November. Click here for more information on the awards.

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