Female excellence in advice finalists named

The countdown has started to the unveiling of the Association of Financial Advisers’ Female Excellence in Advice Awards on October 30.

A starting field of about 150 candidates has been whittled down to six finalists, and the winner will be revealed at the AFA national conference on the Gold Coast.

The AFA says the award was established to:

• encourage greater participation by females in leadership roles within financial advice;
• encourage more females to choose a career in financial advice;
• balance the gender equation in our industry;
• provide clients with more choice when obtaining advice; and
• take a strategic first step towards addressing the issues of female under-insurance and generally low levels of women’s superannuation savings.

The awards – held for the first time in 2011 – also create a pool of strong role models and potential mentors for aspiring female advisers.

Last year’s winner – Olivia Maragna, general manager of Aspire Retire Financial Services, in Brisbane – says the awards were an opportunity to “find out what other female advisers around the country are doing”.

“The awards have given a whole new spotlight on the need for female advice in the industry. It think women generally underestimate what they actually do in the industry, and the effect they have on their clients,” Maragna says.

“The finalists in the award were amazing women.

“[They] were a group of just amazing, dedicated, inspiring women.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to get more a lot exposure, but also a great celebration for our clients, who really followed us through that journey, encouraged us all the way and were very excited for us when we did win.”

2012 AFA Female Excellence in Advice Awards finalists:

Dianne Charman – director and financial planning specialist, Jade Financial Group

Anne Graham – principal and financial adviser, McPhail HLG Financial Planning

Christine Hornery – owner, Financial Management Solutions

Deborah Kent – director and financial planner, Integra Financial Services

Catherine Robson – principal, Affinity Private

Christine Swanson – owner and managing director, Prominent Financial Planners