The Pro Bono Financial Advice Network has added life insurance stalwarts Eima Alkheder and Ben Donald to its board.
Alkheder previously served as an executive director and head of operations for Aon, overseeing operations across highly regulated environments including superannuation, insurance and pensions.
Donald is a life insurance specialist at Life Advice Partners, with active industry involvement through insurer advisory boards, and the Financial Advice Association Australia life insurance committee.
The new appointments join existing board members including White Rabbit Advisory founder and PFAN chair Nicola Beswick, Ignition Advice head of marketing Natalie Kleibert, Knight Management Services financial adviser Stephen Knight, HUB24 group general manager marketing and communications Anne McDonnell, Bombora Advice managing director Niall McConville, Paul Harding‑Davis and Conexus Financial editor-in-chief Aleks Vickovich.
PFAN works with more than 170 financial advisers, delivering over 850 hours of pro bono financial advice.
Since it was established, PFAN has connected Australians living with serious illness or disability to qualified financial advisers willing to provide pro bono advice.
Working closely with referral partners such as the multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neurone disease (MND) networks across Australia, PFAN matches individuals in financial hardship with locally based advisers who can support them through complex financial decisions.
In January, Harding-Davis was awarded life membership of the PFAN in honour of his work in establishing and developing the network over more than a decade.
PFAN was conceived at the Professional Planner Dealer Group Summit (now known as the Licensee Summit) after a presentation in 2012 by AMP’s then-head of financial planning Steve Helmich highlighted the opportunity for an industry-wide collaboration focused on the provision of pro-bono advice to those in need, specifically those suffering a personal health crisis.
Inspired by Helmich’s presentation, Harding-Davis teamed up with Helmich to present a proposal to the next summit, receiving support from Conexus Financial founder Colin Tate AM, and has since become a community partner of its subsidiary, Professional Planner.
The Licensee Summit will be returning to the NSW Blue Mountains on 10-11 June and registration is still open for eligible delegates, including CEOs, executives, managers of licensees and owners/principals of self-licensed advice boutiques.
Beswick, who has chaired PFAN since July 2021 after joining the board in late 2019, said since the inception of PFAN in 2014, participation from advisers, practices and partners has become more coordinated.
“Firms are embedding pro bono advice into their culture as part of professional advice, not as an exception to it,” Beswick said.
“This has changed what’s possible for PFAN in terms of our outlook for growth and the people we support. Eima and Ben both bring hands-on experience across operations, insurance and advice, which will help us keep building momentum and reach more people.”
Registration for the Licensee Summit is still open for eligible delegates, including CEOs, executives, managers of licensees and owners/principals of self-licensed advice boutiques.
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