The Association of Financial Advisers’ Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner designation (FChFP) continues to strengthen, as Nick Hakes, General Manager, Member Services & Campus AFA is re-appointed to the International Certification & Standards Board for the Asia Pacific Financial Services Association (APFinSA).
Mr Hakes said Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore have formed a strong partnership and education ties to enhance practitioner-focused education right across the Asia Pacific region for the financial advice profession.
“The recognition of the need for increased education standards in financial advice is not limited to Australia. We are committed to working with the other member associations of APFinSA to continue to redefine adviser education,” he said. “Across the globe, the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner designation is taking off, and we are proud to have such an innovative and modern designation that reflects the importance of balancing academic rigour with high-value applied practice development.”
Mr Hakes said it is well documented that the economic gravity of the world is shifting from the West to the East and Australia is well placed to play an important leadership role in our region. “We have one of the finest and most mature financial advice industries in the world. The recent focus on higher education standards can only enhance our reputation overseas and importantly deliver great advice to more Australians,” he said. “It makes sense then that an international benchmark for adviser education should reside here in Australia.”
Australian university education is a key export market for Australia, Mr Hakes said. “In our conversations with the other regional Associations, the fact that we have built a professional designation specifically through the lens of a practitioner using Australian Masters-level content is very attractive to the other countries.
A new contemporary brand for the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner was released at the APFinSA annual general meeting last month, to symbolise the culture of collaboration between the member countries of APFinSA. “The Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner certification has two parts that are represented in the new brand,” Mr Hakes said. “The spinning globe represents the dynamic and increasingly complex world for consumers, and the bands of the globe represent the member countries. The arc at the bottom of the logo connects the modern adviser to their clients and the Fellow Chartered Financial Practitioner designation connects education with adviser performance.”
