Two non-aligned advice groups have marked important milestones with one recognising high performance among advisers, while the other marks 20 years in business with more than $110 million in claims.
Perth based Sentry Advice has recognised three advisers and six practices, including a life-risk specialist, in it its annual Excellence Awards.
The group named AdviceOne Financial Services founder, Andrew Halliday as Adviser of the Year, Geraldton Greenough Financial Services Principal Planner, Graham Greenaway as Senior Adviser of the Year, and YV Financial Services Financial Adviser, Steven King as Rising Star Adviser of the Year.
The Practice of the Year Award was given to PMM Financial Advisors in Western Australia while Queensland’s Lifecover Australia was named as the Life Risk Practice of the Year. Four practices also received a Regional Practice of the Year Award – Byfields Wealth Management (WA /NT), Creative Wealth Ideas (VIC /SA), JSK Wealth Solutions Pty Ltd (NSW /ACT), Wealth Connexion Pty Ltd (QLD).
Sentry Group Chief Executive and Chair, Murray Hills said many of the award winners had participated in the Sentry Optimum Better Business program in which practice leaders met with their peers to workshop new business ideas and strategies.
“Each roundtable group is independently facilitated and completely tailored and specific for its particular members to assist each other in solving their most pressing business issues and concerns. Members can count on their peers to provide fresh perspectives and new ideas at roundtable meetings,” Hills said.
He praised the award winners as being front-runners within the group and for being outstanding examples of advice within the profession.
Meanwhile, specialist risk advice licensee Australian Financial Risk Management (AFRM) will mark 20 years of operation with plans to expand its business beyond its six east coast practices into a national presence.
AFRM Managing Director, Nick Hatherly said the 20th anniversary of the founding of the business on 1 April, 1997 also marks the business passing the $110 million figure in claims managed for clients.
Hatherly said the claims managed figure was a testament to the original advice given to clients over the past 20 years which “…all stemmed from good risk analysis and good product selection in the first place”.
“This claims milestone is a delivery of the promise we make when we take on new clients…”
“This claims milestone is a delivery of the promise we make when we take on new clients. To ensure we are there when clients need us the most,” Hatherly said, adding that AFRM was now one of the largest specialist risk financial planning practices in Australia.
He said the group’s six offices between Brisbane and Melbourne were supplemented by fly-in/fly-out type arrangements throughout North Queensland and NSW but a phase of rapid growth was being planned to create a national presence within two years.
“The demand for good risk advice and claims management is massive throughout Australia. Our biggest issue is managing that growth and not to stretch ourselves too far too soon,” he said.
Also marking a milestone is Sydney based Perera Crowther Financial Services which will soon reach the first anniversary of joining Bombora Advice.
The business, which started in 2005, offers life insurance advice to professionals, lawyers, pharmacists and medical practitioners and established a joint venture with Econ Financial Services which had approached Bombora seeking a life insurance solution.
The joint venture, Econ Insurance Services, provides specialist risk advice to the clients of the Econ Financial Services which is a broader financial services and accounting group.
Perera Crowther co-principal and founder, Sam Perera said the move to Bombora had fulfilled his requirements for a non-aligned licensee run by experienced industry professionals while he aimed to build a specialist insurance practice focusing on estate planning and related insurance strategies.
“Bombora has exceeded all my expectations and I have been overwhelmed by the camaraderie, resources and facilities all focused on helping the individual risk advice businesses to grow and realise their potential,” Perera said.
Bombora Managing Director, Wayne Handley said the group was made up of risk advice businesses that worked within a collegiate model sharing of knowledge, experience and expertise which allowed advisers, Perera, to service and address the needs of clients.
