The AFA has joined forces with the Macquarie Graduate School of Management to re-launch the inaugural Female Excellence in Advice Award.
Sponsored by TOWER Australia, the Award will identify and recognise advice practices operated or formed by women, with a focus on those practices that deal with female clients.
The Award, whose Patron is former NSW Opposition Leader, Kerry Chikarovski, was initially announced at the AFA’s 2010 Annual Conference and will be officially launched in May this year to coincide with the 100th International Women’s Day calendar and the United Nations ‘Equality Means Business’ agenda.
AFA CEO, Richard Klipin emphasised the issue of gender equity within what is a broad community debate, and that the financial advisory profession and financial services industry needs to focus collectively to address the imbalance that is seen to exist:
“What we need is greater female participation in the financial advice sector generally, and in particular, higher rates of participation at a leadership level.”
“The Award seeks to actively encourage more women into the industry so they are better represented within the ranks of financial advisers and better able to help women secure their financial future,” added Mr Klipin.
Lara Jacques, Policy Officer at United Nations Women Australia called the Award ‘… a wonderful initiative’:
… the key component is to encourage women into the industry
“It has the buy-in of some very senior people within the sector and the key component is to encourage women into the industry. We are really excited that the Award is being launched and about the opportunities it creates for women within the finance sector,” said Ms Jacques.
The inaugural winner will be announced at a ceremony during the 2011 AFA National Conference on the Gold Coast in October.
