The awards acknowledge members who are committed to delivering the highest standards of trusted and professional advice to Australian consumers, as well as those who go above and beyond to support their local community through pro bono and volunteer work. Additionally, the awards highlight the contribution of outstanding university students who represent the future of the financial advice profession.

FAAA general manager membership, Tania Milnes, said the awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements across the wider advice profession and those who give extra effort to assist in their field and local community.

“The FAAA awards continue to recognise and celebrate those within the Australian financial advice profession that showcase the highest standards of professionalism and care.

“Financial advice is important for all Australians in maximising resilience and achieving their financial outcomes, therefore we recognise dedicated advisers who are committed to helping fellow Australians do so,” Ms Milnes said.

The finalists of the FAAA CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional of the Year Award are:

• Sarah Leslie CFP®, Story Wealth Management
• Mark O’Flynn CFP®, Oxlade Financial
• Joe Stephan CFP®, Stephan Independent Advisory

The finalists for FAAAAdviser of the Year Awardare:

• Nikki Booth, My Wealth Solutions
• Adam Lai, Green Associates
• Christine Swanson, Prominent Financial Services

The finalists of the FAAA Professional Practice of the Year Award are:

• Boutique Advisers, WA
• Oxlade Financial, QLD
• WARR HUNT, VIC

The finalists for the FAAA Inspire Women – Excellence in Advice Award are:

• Melody Edwards CFP®, Evalesco Financial Services
• Morgan Hayward, Lume Wealth
• Kelly King, Iconic Wealth

The finalists for the FAAA Gen Next Rising Star of the Year Award are:

• Aayush Sharma, Frost Financial Services
• Shannon Victor, Oxlade Financial
• Aden Wilkins CFP®, Capital Partners

The finalists for the FAAA University Student of the Year Award are:

• Leah Dhu, Curtin University
• Katherine Mitterer, University of South Australia
• Callum Wishart, University of Queensland

Ms Milnes thanked the supporters of the awards, noting their commitment to the advancement of excellence in financial advice.

“This important recognition can’t happen without the help of our award sponsors, and we thank them for their ongoing support and commitment to excellence in our profession.”

Kieran Forde, head of adviser channel at Zurich Australia, the sponsors of the FAAA Adviser of the Year Award, said Zurich congratulates the finalists for their achievements and for leading the way in our industry. 

“Each of the three outstanding professionals has set themselves apart through their commitment to excellence, integrity, and the highest standards of advice. Their passion for helping clients achieve financial wellbeing is matched by their positive impact on the wider financial advice community.”

Beau Riley, general manager retail sales and new business at TAL, sponsor of the FAAA Inspire Women – Excellence in Advice Award, said the award recognises the remarkable impact women have across the profession.

“All the finalists have showcased what great advice really looks like – exceptional leadership combined with genuine care for clients and communities.

“Hearing the candidates’ stories has been a privilege, and they’re a powerful reminder of the role advisers play in helping Australians build confident financial futures. Congratulations to all finalists on this well-deserved recognition.”

Andrew Gregory, chief advice officer at UniSuper, sponsor of the FAAA University Student of the Year Award, said the calibre of entrants for this award continues to rise.

“UniSuper is delighted to support the next generation of advice professionals through this award for a second year. The future looks bright when emerging professionals are creating positive impact on the financial planning profession and their communities.”

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(Left to right) Anne Graham, Kara Treeby, Sarah Leslie and David Graham

With women currently representing only around 20% of Australia’s financial advisers, it’s extremely rare to find a financial services company that is predominantly women, but that is exactly the case for Story Wealth Management.

Bucking the trend of male dominated financial services companies, three out of four of Story Wealth Management’s directors and seven out of nine team members are female.

Headed by award-winning advisers Anne Graham and David Graham, Story Wealth Management was formed after the recent merger of Sigma Wealth Management with Thinc Wealth, a respected and energetic company run by Sarah Leslie and Kara Treeby. Their respective business’ historical growth and success is an indicator that women have a lot to offer the profession.

“Thinc were a great example of a successful company focussed on providing an exceptional service to clients,” says Anne, “and the synergy with Sigma Wealth Management was obvious. Together we are a powerful team that can provide a comprehensive range of advice and services to help clients achieve their goals.”

The change in name reflected the fresh start for the resulting company, and also highlighted to clients the company’s commitment to bringing clients’ stories to life through great financial advice and management.

Anne, who serves on a number of boards and committees in addition to her client work, believes more women will enter the profession as demand grows.

“The workforce in Australia is changing, with greater representation of women across the board, and the financial services industry will not be immune to that,” says Anne.

Anne hastens to add that it’s not a case of women being better advisers than men; the issue is that clients sometimes don’t have the option of working with a female adviser given the limited number of experienced, qualified women in the profession. “Our client base encompasses all types of people, and they generally select their adviser based on how that person meets all of their needs, in terms of their ability to understand their goals and partner with the client to achieve them,” explains Anne. “Our clients value the skills and experience of our team, and we’re proud to offer them a service that they love.”

“Any industry benefits from better representation of their client base, and the financial services industry without doubt can count any member of the Australian community as a potential client. Why wouldn’t you include women in your team?”

The answer to that question seems to be that women are still entering the industry at a lower rate than men. However some key players have recognised that the imbalance is not good for the industry and are working on remedying the situation.

For example, BT Financial Group launched the Stella Network in 2013 to increase the representation of women in the industry generally, and in their own organisation specifically. In 2015 they cited an noticeable improvement in the ratio of female advisers in their own team, with around 45% of new advisers in 2014 being women.

Though it might take some time for the balance to be redressed, Story Wealth Management are proud to stand out in the financial services profession.

“In the end, it’s our financial and market knowledge, our extensive experience, and our genuine interest and concern for our clients that earns us our success,” says Anne. “But it’s also great that we can offer a real point of difference in a heavily male dominated industry.”

The post The Story is this…these women are taking the financial services industry by storm appeared first on AdviserVoice.