AFA adviser awards open for nominations

According to the AFA Awards website, The Adviser of the Year award will be assessed against four key judging criteria: business performance, adviser performance, quality advice strategies, and professionalism and leadership.

The Practice of the Year award will be assessed against criteria that include planning and governance, operational excellence, client management, people and performance, and marketing.

AFA chief executive Brad Fox said both awards symbolise the enthusiasm of professional advisers to assume a leadership role at a time when the advice profession is undergoing considerable change.

"These awards help showcase the quality advice outcomes available to Australians through receiving financial advice," Mr Fox said.

"Each award has its own unique criteria, giving the opportunity for both practices and individual advisers, who may be employees, to be rewarded."

Both awards will be judged by the same panel, comprising Brad Fox and Deborah Kent from the AFA; Rebecca Sheils from the Beddoes Institute; Graham Peatey from Caboodle Financial Services; Peter Sobels from Riskinfo; and Kristine Brooks and Andy Marshall from Zurich.

Advisers and practices may nominate themselves, or they can be nominated by any industry participant.

Nominations for both awards open 9 May and close 22 July, with the winners announced at the AFA's National Adviser Conference in Canberra on 7 October.