AFA staffer appointed vice chair of APFinSA board

In a statement yesterday, the AFA said Mr Hakes is now vice chairman of the APFinSA international certifications and standards board.

AFA chief executive Phil Kewin said this appointment demonstrates that the Australian advice profession and education program are “held at the highest esteem by our Asia-Pacific neighbours”.

“APFinSA council members represent the voice of over 100,000 financial service professionals across 11 country associations and we are delighted that Nick has been appointed as the vice chairman of the APFinSA international certifications and standards board and lead adviser education on a world scale,” Mr Kewin said.

The appointment coincides with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between APFinSA and the European Financial Planning Association (EFPA), the statement said.

The MOU is the start of a process for the EFPA to formally recognise the APFinSA’s Fellow Chartered Financial Planner Practitioner (FChFP) designation, the AFA said.

“The MOU will effectively extend the global footprint of the FChFP designation and demonstrates that, with its focus on balancing academic studies with applied practice development, the FChFP is a very highly recognised and respected designation across the world,” Mr Hakes said.

The MOU also implies that APFinSA will recognise the EFPA’s professional designation.

EFPA chair Josep Soler-Albertí said, “The MOU with APFinSA presents an exciting opportunity to strengthen the global recognition of both sets of professional designations.”