Johannesburg: Every year the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI) recognises and awards the financial planner who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments in plying their trade. The FPI Financial Planner of the Year competition is composed of very stringent tasks faced by the finalists in all three rounds. Only applicants demonstrating their talents and abilities to the highest degree make it through the rounds. This is an occasion to show that all the hard work and dedication demonstrated by the best financial planner to the profession and industry has paid off.
A big thank you to Liberty, our sponsor for this year’s event.
Financial luminaries gathered for a special night of glitz and glamour at the gala dinner where the announcement was made. Palesa Dube, CFP® emerged as the ultimate financial planning professional at the industry’s flagship event which took place in Fourways, Johannesburg, last night where she was crowned the FPI Financial Planner of the Year. She came up top among a group of finalist that also included Thomas Brukman, CFP® and Philippus Hendrik Spies, CFP®. The financial planners who walked away with awards provided confirmation that the South African personal finance consumer, and the financial planning industry as a whole, are in good hands.
The top three were not the only winners of the evening. More winners were in the following categories:
- The Diversity and Inclusion Award – presented by the FPI’s HOD for Policy and Engagement, David Kop, CFP® – which speaks to the efforts of the individual exhibiting tireless endeavour to foster diversity in the financial planning profession, went to Mona Manzambi, CFP®
- The Harry Brews Award – presented by the FPI Chairperson Kirsty Scully – which honours an extraordinary individual for undying and dedicated service to both the FPI and the financial planning profession in general, was awarded to Noel Maye, MBA
- The It Starts with Me Award, presented by Adele Whyte, FPI Head of Department for the Membership Hub, which recognises a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional for their unyielding dedication to promoting the CFP® certification, went to Ricardo Teixeira, CFP®
- The Top Candidate Award, presented by Nici Macdonald, CFP®, FPI Head of Department for Certification and Standards, which goes to the candidate whose performance surpassed all the others’ in the FPI’s CFP® Professional Competency Examination went to Bryan Nicol, CFP®
The evening reached a climax with the announcement of Palesa Dube, CFP® as the 2022 Financial Planner of the Year. Representing the very pinnacle of the profession, the award is the highest accolade given to the best financial planner in South Africa. The demanding selection process included candidates submitting a detailed case study, a very involved practice visit and demonstrating their skills and expertise on topics as varied as legislation, industry trends and technical information – all examined by a very knowledgeable panel of assessors.
Palesa proved herself to be the best out of a very tough line up of professional financial planners through the depth of her knowledge, the impressive detail of her financial plans and her personal commitment to her clients.
According to the 2021 winner Ryan McCaughey, CFP® “Winning the FPI Financial Planner of the Year award has been both a rewarding and humbling experience, yet it has been an amazing journey that benefited our financial planning practice and me in more ways than I could ever have imagined”.
Lelané Bezuidenhout, the CEO of the FPI, was full of praise and admiration for everyone who entered – especially as they have had to be at the service of customers with varied needs. “All the respect to the winners for the years of dedication and hard work they have put in, which has taken them to where they are today,” she said. “Their commitment reminds us that hard work, dedication and professionalism, rather than luck, are the only things that can guarantee success”.
For high-res photos of the evening or to set up an interview with one of the winners, please contact the FPI’s Media Office at marketing@fpi.co.za
By the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa
