Iress announces partnership to attract new advisers

Iress announced a partnership with Striver in hopes of attracting new entrants to financial services to address the continuing challenges caused by low adviser numbers.

Speaking on the partnership, Kelli Willmer, Iress executive general manager, wealth APAC, said that Striver’s potential for meaningful engagement with the financial services talent pool was the impetus for the partnership.

“As the industry’s mainstay software provider, we are committed to helping generate that demand and showing what that career can look like,” she said.

“We believe that Striver is the standout best player in the space, with significant reach, fantastic engagement and strong relationships in place with our key licensee and product partners.”

Alisdair Barr, founder and chief executive of Striver, added that the partnership will help them support new entrants as they join the industry.

“Iress shares our vision to create fulfilling careers for future talent and this partnership will help build our industry’s continued excellence,” he said.

“Making financial advice more accessible to Australians requires clear career pathways. To attract more talent into the industry, we need to shine a spotlight on the great careers and provide more education and resources to help candidates take their first steps.”

Commenting on the industry’s struggle to meet the demand for advice in Australia, Willmer noted the importance of enticing more people into the profession.

“There are over 1 million Australians unable to get the financial advice they need today, growing the numbers in our profession and building a strong talent pipeline is crucial,” she said.

“A career in financial advice is an ideal fit for the desires of many smart, driven students out there today – fulfilling, rewarding and intellectually stimulating.”

In addition to the partnership, Iress is now a key partner and presenter at Striver’s 2024 Brimstone event series taking place throughout 2024 in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Sydney.

Brimstone is an event designed to introduce students, graduates, and career changers to the different career paths within financial services and allow them to interact with key players across the industry.

Iress will also contribute to Striver’s Mentor Education Unit with a series of new Xplan training modules. The program allows those seeking to enter financial services to experience the products and platforms being used.

The training is aimed at providing potential entrants with practical experience and understanding of the technology, allowing for a smoother transition into the workforce.