MetLife, AFA award female adviser grants

The MetLife Progress: Professional Development Grant includes 2019 AFA Conference registration, attendance at AFA events including masterclasses and ongoing events, along with networking and support from MetLife.

The program was created to advocate for greater diversity in the industry.

One of the recipients, Cassandra Scoble, associate financial adviser at IEC Advisory, said the grant would be a great way for her to further her career and do the best she can for her clients.

“The client landscape for financial advice is changing and we need to keep pace with that,” Ms Scoble said.

“This is a great way to make sure women, who are still outnumbered by men in the industry, have the development opportunities they need to succeed. I’m really grateful for that.”

The other recipients are:

• Rhianne Rees, adviser, Life Sumo
• Rochelle Leese, adviser, Miller Leese Financial Services
• Emma Fowler, paraplanner, Goals & Dreams Financial Planning
• Ewelina Barilka, adviser, AMP Financial Planning
• Samantha Henry, WA state chair, AFA Paraplanner Pulse
• Amanda Montesin, adviser, Regional Financial Solutions
• Indee Herath, client services manager, Peters Mckeown Financial Planners
• Rebecca Maher, financial adviser, The Fiscal Mum
• Errin McDowall, adviser, HLB Wealth Management
• Angela Reade, adviser, Globalee Investment Services
• Cara Williams, financial adviser, Perrier Ryan
• Melissa Robin, owner, Ebb + Flow Paraplanners
• Katherine Hope, adviser, Paragem

The judging panel comprised of Rachel Towell, state manager NSW/ACT at MetLife; Jeff Thurecht, adviser at Evalesco Financial Services; and Natalie Kleibert, general manager of marketing at the AFA.

MetLife’s head of sales, Matt Lippiatt, added both advisers and their clients would benefit from the initiative.

“They are a high calibre group of women who are each blazing traits in their own way within the profession,” Mr Lippiatt commented.

AFA chief executive Philip Kewin said the AFA is proud to support the professional development of emerging female advisers and paraplanners.

“We are very impressed by the high standard of the grant applications we received and we are confident that both the profession as a whole and the recipients themselves will reap the rewards of this initiative,” Mr Kewin said.