AFA education award winners announced

The AFA and its award partner Asteron Life said the state winners were chosen on the back of their commitment to self development through continuing education and contributing to their industry by building quality businesses.

“With more advisers of this standard, we can help educate consumers and regulators that advisers are well-educated professionals committed to investing in themselves and their businesses through life-long education,” Asteron Life executive general manager Jordan Hawke said.

“These advisers have set a benchmark for their peers by demonstrating that education is the cornerstone of adviser professionalism, and through their ability to provide high quality advice, they demonstrate value to their customers and increase consumer trust in the advice profession.”

Candidates for the award were judged by a written nomination and interview.

The criteria for the award is a weighted basis which is 50 per cent based on education and 30 per cent on an adviser’s practice.

AFA chief executive Brad Fox said the process encourages higher levels of professionalism for the industry.

“The AFA Excellence in Education Award is not only about recognising the achievement of the overall winner, but also the achievements of the nominees,” Mr Fox said.

“Through this process, we are able to recognise the great efforts of a number of advisers who continually strive to become better advisers to their clients by undertaking additional education relevant to their advice.”

In Tasmania and South Australia, the winners were Collins SBA wealth protection adviser Duncan Forces and Wealth Logic financial planner Craig Muchamore respectively.

In Western Australia Paramount Financial Services director and ifa blogger Wayne Leggett took out the state prize.

New South Wales and Queensland prize winners were William Buck senior financial Adviser Sam Kitchen and Astro Financial Planning’s Sanja Ajzerle, while in Victoria, McPhail HLG financial Planning’s managing director Anne Graham was awarded the top prize.