The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) has announced the six finalists in the tenth AFA Rising Star of the Year Award (the Award), supported by ANZ Wealth. The Award recognises the best new advisers who provide quality financial advice, demonstrate a commitment to education, and make a valuable contribution to their profession and to their community.
AFA CEO, Brad Fox, said, “The Award continues to profile the most talented new advisers in the industry. The quality and the quantity of the nominations goes to show that the advice profession is in good hands, and will grow and develop to continue to help achieve great advice for more Australians.”
Each finalist will attend a full day judging process to be held in Sydney in front of a judging panel that includes ANZ Wealth’s General Manager for Advice & Open Market channels, Neil Younger and the first three winners of the award: Esther Althaus (2006), Chris Browne (2007) and Brad Fox (2008).
Mr Fox said, “A very strong part of the AFA’s DNA is the willingness to share with your peers and in this case, having three previous winners as part of the judging panel takes it one step further. It is a great example of how the AFA Rising Star Award has achieved one of its key objectives envisioned ten years ago when it commenced – to attract and foster new talent towards a career in financial advice. We have seen, year after year, amazing new talent join the AFA through the awareness generated through the Award and our GenXt initiative.”
ANZ Wealth, Neil Younger said, “We are pleased to see that as we celebrate the tenth year of the Award, it continues to go from strength to strength. This year, the judges have been overwhelmed with the standard of nominees and the outstanding contribution they make towards their clients, their profession and their community.”
Mr Fox said the Award is about profiling and encouraging the talents of advisers at the start of their careers and inspiring them to become leaders and innovators in the advice profession.
The 2014 Rising Star of the Year Award finalists are:
- Ben Nash, Successful Ways, NSW
- Benjamin Budge, My Wealth Solutions, QLD
- Catherine Wells, Plansure Solutions, SA
- James Jagodnik, Stanford Brown, NSW
- Phillip Thompson, Thompson Financial Services, VIC
- Samantha Robinson, Eluvia, VIC
This year’s judging panel includes:
- Esther Althaus, Financial Planner, Perspective Financial Services and 2005 AFA Rising Star Winner
- Brad Fox, AFA CEO
- Michael Nowak, AFA President
- Chris Browne, Financial Planner, Founder of Rising Tide and 2007 AFA Rising Star Winner
- Ben Harrop, Head of Strategic Accounts Management, ANZ Wealth
- Neil Younger, General Manager for Advice & Open Market Channels, ANZ Wealth
The Award winner will be announced at the AFA National Adviser Conference in Cairns, Sunday 12 October 2014. For more information on the AFA Rising Star of the Year Award, see: www.afarisingstar.com.au
