The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) has revealed the recipients of its second annual ReCALIbrate grant, providing five mid-career, female risk advisers with a $2,000 grant to attend the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress, hosted in Brisbane from 27 to 29 November 2024.
Recipients will also be paired up with a life insurance industry leader, to provide them ongoing mentorship, learning, support, and advice.
This year’s recipients are Nicole Bendeich of Calibre Life, Janice Choo of Big Oak Financial Services, Nikki Szprinc of DC Advice, Rebecca Pritchard of Rising Tide Financial Services, and Samantha Greene of Greene Financial.
CALI chief executive Christine Cupitt said the grants gives these women an opportunity to take part in an event they may otherwise be unable to attend.
“Each of these incredible women have a unique story to tell and through their work they provide essential peace of mind for people, especially other women, during life’s biggest challenges,” Cupitt said.
“Women in risk advice are essential role models in our industry. They give customers the option to talk to someone who is like them and who understands their unique experiences.
“Our research shows that women are more concerned than men about the cost of living and the impact on their financial safety net. That’s why it’s more important than ever that women get access to the right financial advice to help them make informed choices about their financial future.”
FAAA CEO Sarah Abood congratulated CALI on its second year of the program and the organisation’s commitment to the advice profession.
“We once again applaud CALI’s ReCALIbrate initiative to foster the next generation of women in financial advice and to help address the decreasing number of financial advisers in Australia,” Abood said.
“We look forward to welcoming the 2024 ReCALIbrate recipients to the FAAA Congress in November to learn, build lasting professional relationships and have a memorable experience.”
According to Cupitt, previous recipients have noted the value of being paired with an experienced mentor, fostering a “mutually beneficial professional relationship and connection” as a result.
Speaking earlier this year, a financial adviser at Fox and Hare and one of the 2023 grant recipients, Trish Gregory, said that without the grant she may not have been able to attend the FAAA Congress last year.
“The ReCALIbrate program makes a huge impact because women have less money available to them than men, due to the gender pay gap. So, this grant can go a lot further to really help women access opportunities to learn and connect and further their career,” Gregory said.
“Having the opportunity to have time with an industry leader is not something that I would just stumble across. The conversations that I’ve had through the program have been invaluable. They’ve really helped to frame up some of the thoughts I’ve had around the way I work and my practice.”
