MenuThe Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has announced Jessica Dean of Globe Financial Planning as the newest recipient of the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award for the Summer semester of 2022.
Named after the late ‘First Lady of Financial Planning’, the award recognises the highest performing student in the CFP Certification Unit (CFP C) for each semester, with demonstrable dedication to providing high-quality financial advice.
Ms Dean is a financial adviser at Globe Financial Planning, based in Perth. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce at the University of Western Australia in 2015, and completed a Graduate Diploma of Financial Planning at Kaplan Professional in 2021.
She said she likes how the CFP Certification Program is built around complex problem solving, and that you had to bring together all your experience and everything you’ve learnt and apply it to different situations.
“The CFP program allowed me the flexibility to apply myself to the core purpose of being an adviser, which is to consider the situation of all our clients, assess what are their best options, and write some good advice based on that,” Ms Dean said.
“In my previous study, I was learning from generic examples that didn’t really translate to the real world. What’s great about the CFP program was that the questions and the exams are quite real, nuanced, and complex, which is what human beings are.
“Having undertaken the CFP program has enabled me to really challenge my own ways of thinking and has really prepared me for advising in the real world. Now I feel more ready to think outside the box and handle complex client situations than I did previously.”
Research by CoreData for the FPA found 9 in 10 consumers say they trust a CFP professional to deliver reliable and valuable advice when compared to other professionals.
FPA chief executive officer Sarah Abood congratulated Ms Dean on her win.
“What Jessica has achieved is outstanding. The Gwen Fletcher Award reflects an ongoing dedication to the highest levels of professionalism in financial planning. Gwen was a pioneer in financial planning education and elevated the profession to new heights, and I am confident that Jessica will continue this proud legacy.
“The CFP Certification Program is an integral part of the FPA’s work to bring the financial planning profession forward and assist planners with the skills and confidence to deliver the best quality financial advice to Australians.”
The CFP designation is the largest and best-recognised financial planning designation globally, with more than 213,000 CFP professionals worldwide, an increase of nearly five per cent from last year. It is a symbol of excellence for financial planners around the world who are actively committed through higher education and accountability to adhering to worldclass professional and ethical standards. The CFP designation offers financial planning professionals a way to differentiate themselves in the profession.
For more information on the CFP Certification Program, visit fpa.com.au/cfp.
