Licensee of the Year winners revealed at summit

CoreData and Professional Planner have named the winners of the 2017 Licensee of the Year Awards. Matrix Planning Solutions took home top honours.

Matrix Planning Solutions won the biggest prize – the 2017 Licensee of the Year award. The strategic advice-focused dealer group, led by Todd Kardash, was also crowned Institutionally Affiliated Licensee of the Year, while GPS Wealth won Independently Owned Licensee of the Year.

Commonwealth Financial Planning’s renewed investment in planners and their needs earned it the Institutionally Branded Licensee of the Year.

The awards were handed out at Professional Planner’s Licensee Summit in the Blue Mountains earlier this week.

To judge Australia’s licensees, CoreData, in partnership with Professional Planner, surveys more than 1500 advisers on their licensees’ services, profit and value proposition.

Sean Allen, director of Australian Financial Services at CoreData, said Matrix’s two-year business transformation was behind its win.

“I think it’s a fantastic result given the journey they’ve been on,” Allen said.

Colin Tate, chief executive of Professional Planner publisher Conexus Financial, said the awards show how licensees are evolving to meet professional standards.

“The awards are important for highlighting current best practice and for pinpointing trends in service offerings and value,” Tate said. “You could say they create a blueprint for a new kind of advice services business in a newly professionalised world of financial planning.”

Jeremy Bernadi, national account manager, platforms and licensee, at AIA Australia, agreed.

“We congratulate the winners with the acknowledgement that you are shaping a better future for your clients,” Bernardi said.

The full list of nominees and winners is below:

Institutionally Affiliated Licensee

Finalists:

• Matrix Financial Planning
• RI Advice
• Financial Services Partners

Winner:

Matrix Financial Planning

Institutionally Branded Licensee

Finalists:

• MLC Advice Stores
• Commonwealth Financial Planning
• CBA Pathways

Winner:

Commonwealth Financial Planning

Independently Owned Licensee

Finalists:

• Fortnum Financial Advisers
• GPS Wealth
• Alliance Wealth

Winner:

GPS Wealth

Licensee of the Year

Matrix Financial Planning