14 financial advice professionals awarded MetLife/AFA grant
Sydney August 09, 2019
MetLife Australia and the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) today announce the recipients of the inaugual MetLife Progress: Professional Development Grant for Women. A total of 14 grants have been awarded to up-and-coming female financial advisers and paraplanners.
Recipients of the 2019 round receive professional development packages, which include a 2019 AFA Conference registration, attendance at AFA events including Masterclasses and ongoing events, along with networking and support from MetLife Australia.
Amongst the winners is Cassandra Scoble, who applied for the grant because she recognised the opportunity to expand her skills in financial advice, along with other accomplished women in the finance industry. Commenting on the opportunity, Ms Scoble said: “I’m thrilled to receive this professional development grant from MetLife and AFA – I know it will be a great way for me to further my career and do the best I can for my clients. The client landscape for fianancial advice is changing and we need to keep pace with that. 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.”
MetLife Progress was created to advocate for greater diversity in the industry by helping women in financial advice achieve their career goals.
AFA CEO, Philip Kewin said of the winners, “The AFA is proud to support the professional development of emerging female advisers and paraplanners with this grant. 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.”
MetLife’s Head of Retail Sales, Matt Lippiatt said, “I want to congratulate the inaugural MetLife Progress recipients. They are a high calibre group of women who are each blazing trails in their own way within the profession. We are delighted to be able to partner with the AFA to bring this initiative to life. Not only will these advisers benefit from this opportunity, but so too will their clients.”
The other MetLife Progress grant recipients are Rhianne Rees, Rochelle Leese, Emma Fowler, Ewelina Barilka, Samantha Henry, Amanda Montesin, Indee Herath, Rebecca Maher, Errin McDowall, Angela Reade, Cara Williams, Melissa Robin and Katherine Hope.
The judging panel was made up of Rachel Towell (MetLife), Jeff Thurecht (Evalesco Financial Services), and Natalie Kleibert (AFA).
Media Contact
Sarah Kelly
MetLife Australia
+61 (0)411 893 890
About AFA
The Association of Financial Advisers Limited (AFA) has been the authentic voice on the value of financial advice for over 70 years. Today, the AFA is a vibrant, innovative association, where the underlying driver of policy is the belief that great advice transforms lives. To this end the AFA is striving to achieve the vision of Great Advice for More Australians. The AFA’s ongoing relevance as a professional association is derived from its success in engaging with the major stakeholders in financial advice including advisers, consumers, licensees, product and service providers, and the regulator and government. Culturally the AFA believes in the value of collaboration to create powerful outcomes and this drives how we achieve influence and work towards our vision.
About MetLife
MetLife Insurance Limited (MetLife), an affiliate of MetLife, Inc., is a specialist provider of life insurance to affinity partners, superannuation trustees and employers in Australia. MetLife has expertise in designing and executing direct insurance programs for partners’ customers and insurance solutions to meet the needs of specific member groups. MetLife has been a specialist provider of life risk insurance products in Australia since 2005. For more information, visit metlife.com.au.
MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit metlife.com.