Canberra-based female adviser wins FPA award

The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has presented the Gwen Fletcher Memorial Award for the first semester of 2022 to Brigitta Hembrow-Gersey, a Canberra-based associate adviser at Elston Private Wealth.

The award, named after the ‘First Lady of Financial Planning’, acknowledges the top performing student in the Certified Financial Planner Certification Unit (CFP C) for each semester who shows a dedication to providing quality financial advice.

Hembrow-Gersey, who began studying for the CFP Certification Program when she was working overseas as a financial planner in 2019, said the program was a great way to gain knowledge of all areas related to financial planning, especially those not universally covered such as estate planning.

“The CFP Certification program offers a diverse range of knowledge that has enabled me to better advise clients and help them achieve their goals,” she said.

“For those thinking about studying for the CFP designation, I say go for it. You walk out of it with a great skill set that you can then apply on a daily basis to provide better advice for your clients.

“With the increased education requirements, I think the CFP Certification program, together with the Master’s in Financial Planning I’m completing through Kaplan Professional, have helped me to achieve more for my clients and aim higher than just the minimum requirements.

“The CFP Certification Program has helped me to stand out and differentiate myself when it comes to being a financial planner in the industry.”

Sarah Abood, CEO of the FPA, congratulated Hembrow-Gersey on her award.

“This is a fantastic achievement by Brigitta. I particularly congratulate her on her ongoing commitment to the highest levels of education in financial planning,” she said.

“Such commitment honours the legacy of Gwen Fletcher who was a pioneer in education for financial planners and who elevated our profession to another level.

“The CFP Certification Program is a key element of the FPA’s work – started by Gwen Fletcher – to advance the financial planning profession and provide members with the skills and confidence to deliver the best quality financial advice to Australian consumers.”

The CFP program is the only globally recognised financial planning designation, now with over 200,000 CFP-accredited professionals worldwide.