How a voice for future advisers became an award winner

Fox & Hare co-founder and financial adviser Glen Hare was the recipient of the Industry Thought Leader of the Year award at the ifa Excellence Award last year for supporting the growth of new entrants in the financial advice industry and advocating for the provision of advice to a younger demographic.

The recipient of this award demonstrates an ability to be entrepreneurial, articulates the desired direction of the industry, draws upon best practice from other relevant industries and markets to champion the growth and development of the sector.

Mr Hare told ifa that he is proudly vocal about the opportunities to grow the financial advice industry and encourage entrants and students to pursue a career in the field.

“One of the achievements I’m most proud of is that I’m an advocate for advice,” he said.

“I’m the co-founder of a firm that is embracing the next generation of advisers by regularly supporting internships and associates going through their professional year. It’s about doing what we can to advocate for the next generation of financial advisers.”

Mr Hare recalled his 2021 award win ahead of the 2022 ifa Excellence Awards, which are due to take place on Wednesday, 16 November, at Montage in Sydney.

Nominations and submissions are now open, with ifa accepting entries until Thursday, 8 September, with finalists to be announced on Thursday, 29 September.

Mr Hare attributed his award win in 2021 to prioritising diversity and inclusion by serving a younger demographic.

“We support a subset of our community that we believe the industry has left behind or forgotten about,” he said.

“Most of our clients are aged between 25 and 45. Our aim is to ensure that they are making smarter decisions sooner rather than later around building wealth, whether that is through property or shares. It’s about compounding some of the decisions we make in our 20s and 30s, which could have a significant impact on our long-term financial wellbeing.

“We also wanted to make advice and financial literacy accessible, and create a safe space for people to reach out for guidance even if they don’t feel like they’re in the most amazing financial position.”

Award win boosts profile

Since winning the award win, more advisers and associates aspiring to begin a professional year have been engaging with Fox & Hare, Mr Hare said.

“Moreover, given that we were able to share our win with our database and on our social media platforms, those who follow us saw us as thought leaders and wanted to work with us,” he said.

Mr Hare added that since many financial advisers work in silos in their small-to-medium businesses (SME), award programs such as the ifa Excellence Awards provide a platform to celebrate the industry’s achievements, share different perspectives, learn from peers about their approaches to advice, and network with the industry.

“The advice industry has faced and overcome many challenges in the last five to 10 years. Taking the time to step back and realise that there’s so much opportunity to do good and recognise those who are leading the way is such a powerful message,” he said.

As for what advice he would offer to this year’s award entrants, Mr Hare urged everyone to submit an entry regardless of the end result because compiling the submission provides an opportunity to reflect on their achievements.

“Often, we’re so focused on the next goalposts that we don’t take the time to reflect on our successes over the previous 12 months,” he said.

“Being able to do that through this exercise of writing award submissions is a fulfilling way to go about it. It’s definitely worth giving it a shot.”

Nominations and submissions for the 2022 ifa Excellence Awards will close on Thursday, 8 September.

To enter the awards, register your account through our secure awards platform and fill in the details of your submission. When you’re happy with your submission, press save and lodge it.

Click here to submit an entry or nominate a worthy colleague and be rewarded for your tireless efforts and dedication to propelling the advice industry forward.

To read about the judging process, click here.

For more information about the awards program, including categories, click here.

Click here to view the 2021 finalists and winners.