Launched by sponsor and specialist risk insurer PPS Mutual, who distribute solely through financial advisers, the Risk Practice of the Year Award was established to celebrate the vital role advisers play in achieving quality outcomes for Australians and to recognise advice practices where life insurance sits at the core of the business model, culture and client proposition. Open to firms generating more than 50 per cent of annual new business revenue from life insurance-related business, the award assessed performance across customer excellence, commercial strategy, continuous improvement, cultural strength and industry contribution.

Michael Pillemer, CEO of PPS Mutual, said Personal Risk Professionals exemplified the intent and purpose of the award.

“Risk advice has never been more complex or more important. The profession is operating under intense regulatory and operational pressure, yet advisers continue to play a critical role in protecting Australians at their most vulnerable moments.

“In that context, we congratulate Personal Risk Professionals on being named the 2026 PPS Mutual Risk Practice of the Year. While the other finalists showed notable excellence across particular dimensions – namely client and claims advocacy, adviser development and community contribution – the independent panel judged that PRP was the most complete and robust example when assessed against all criteria as a whole. The panel also placed strong weight on PRP’s active involvement in industry association committees, regulator forums, and insurer advisory boards, as well as their participation in parliamentary engagement in Canberra to explain the impact of reforms on advisers and advocate for the strengthening of the profession,” Pillemer continued.

“The judging panel also noted the high calibre of finalists, reflecting the depth of capability and commitment across the specialist risk advice profession and the high standard of advice being delivered nationally,” Pillemer noted.

Mark Everingham, Managing Director and Partner of Personal Risk Professionals, said the award was a reflection of the firm’s values and the trust placed in the team by clients and professional partners.

“Being named PPS Mutual Risk Practice of the Year is an incredibly humbling moment for our entire team. This award represents far more than professional recognition – it reflects the trust our professional partners and clients place in us, particularly at the most vulnerable moments of their lives, and the values that have guided Personal Risk Professionals since day one: hope, kindness, bravery and honesty.

“The advice industry has faced profound change over the past decade – regulatory reform, rising complexity and a growing shortage of specialist risk advisers. To be recognised in this environment reinforces our belief that high-quality life insurance advice, delivered with genuine care and strong claims advocacy, remains critical to protecting Australian families and businesses,” Everingham said.

“We’re deeply proud of our people, our culture and our contribution to strengthening the profession, and we’re excited about the future as we continue to invest in the next generation of specialist risk advisers and raise the standard of advice across our industry,” Everingham concluded.

As part of the award, PRP will participate in Q&A sessions at each event on the Riskinfocus 26 Risk Advice CPD Tour, Australia’s premier life insurance professional development program, sharing insights with advisers nationwide.

PPS Mutual is supported by PPS South Africa, the largest multi-disciplinary group of professionals in the world and the largest mutual company in South Africa since the 1940s – sharing over $3 billion in profits with Members over the last 10 years. PPS Mutual is owned by its Australian Members who share in the profits of the products that they buy.

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‘ASIC has extensive engagement with participants in the financial advice sector as well as financial advice industry bodies and consumer organisations. We saw benefit in extending our interaction with this sector through the establishment of a committee made up of practising advisers,’ said ASIC Deputy Chairman Peter Kell.

The Financial Advisers Consultative Committee (FACC) will supplement ASIC’s existing engagement with the financial advice industry by:

• contributing to our understanding  of issues in the financial advice industry, including those directly impacting on practising advisers;
• improving ASIC’s  capacity to identify, assess and respond to emerging trends in the financial advice industry.

The members of the FACC are practising financial advisers with a range of skills drawn from the following areas:

• investment;
• insurance;
• superannuation;
• self-managed superannuation funds; and
• digital financial advice.

The FACC will provide ASIC with views on a broad range of issues relating to the financial advice industry.

FACC Members

The initial members of the FACC are: Craig Banning, Jennifer Brown, Chris Brycki, Steven Dobson, Mark Everingham, Tony Gillett, Adam Goldstien, Cathryn Gross, Suzanne Haddan and Kevin Smith.

Deputy Chairman Peter Kell said, ‘The establishment of this committee is part of ASIC’s ongoing commitment to enhancing its engagement with its stakeholders.’

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Wayne Handley

Bombora Advice (Bombora) Managing Director, Wayne Handley, has announced that Queensland headquartered life risk specialist Personal Risk Professionals (PRP) has joined the boutique dealer group.

PRP was established in Brisbane by Mark Everingham in 2009 to provide solutions and strategies for business owners, professionals and senior executive clients to address their complex estate planning, business succession and risk protection requirements.

Mark is an Accredited Estate Planning Specialist, Life Risk Specialist, Certified Financial Planner and passionate advocate of risk protection and the benefits it and the financial services industry in general, provide to all Australians.

Today, with a dedicated team of risk specialists, PRP services a growing client base in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The PRP business model utilises collegiate and collaborative relationships with accountants, lawyers and other professional advisers to develop and implement action plans and structures for clients that seek to ensure business succession, estate continuity, retirement and wealth creation aspirations have appropriate risk protection with supporting legal documentation.

Although disappointed to leave his dealer group of five years and most appreciative of their service and support, Mark felt the Bombora offering was an exceptional opportunity.

In welcoming PRP to Bombora, Wayne Handley said there were many factors that Mark Everingham considered, but ultimately, it was the non-aligned boutique business model and dedicated risk focussed marketplace offering that underpinned his decision to join the group.

“The need for Australians to protect their wealth and create certainty for themselves, their businesses, families and intended beneficiaries has never been more important and complex,” said Mark Everingham.

“We therefore felt it was imperative for PRP’s future and client service offering that the practice needed to be incorporated within a specialist dealer group infrastructure – and Bombora met all our requirements.”

Early last year, Wayne Handley identified the need and demand for a boutique alternative to the traditional dealer group model and after extensive research and analysis, established Bombora Advice.  The risk focussed dealer group officially commenced business in September.

Handley’s aim was to create a fresh, innovative, advice-led business that was dedicated to working in harmony with fellow, like-minded professionals.

“Nothing has changed since Bombora started, in fact our values and key points of difference continue to resonate as the industry settles into the modern FoFA era,” said Wayne Handley.

“Nor has the Bombora business model waivered from a focus on productive relationships, managed growth and building an organisation based on ‘sharing value’.”

Founding equity partner, Melbourne based Complete Risk Analysis (CRA) was the first practice to join Bombora as word of mouth spread about the boutique dealer group and its aspirations to engage and support the needs of risk professionals.

Wayne Handley confirmed that Mark Everingham and PRP were also founding equity partners of Bombora.

Mark Everingham continued, “I believe that Bombora’s collegiate environment that encourages and facilitates the sharing of ideas, experiences and knowledge will be of immense long term benefit to PRP.  Furthermore, I have no doubt that other specialist risk practitioners will find the Bombora marketplace offering very attractive.”

With PRP joining CRA as Bombora practices, Wayne Handley advised that discussions with two more practices were close to being finalized and he expected to announce their signing with the group next month.

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