A football coach, accredited netball umpire and martial arts trainee are among the women in risk advice who’ve been crowned 2024 ReCALIbrate grant recipients.
The annual program run by the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) offers $2000 to five risk advisers to attend the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress.
This year’s ReCALIbrate recipients are:
Nicole Bendeich, Calibre Life
Janice Choo, Big Oak Financial Services
Nikki Szprinc, DC Advice
Rebecca Pritchard, Rising Tide Financial Services
Samantha Greene, Greene Financial
“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,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.
Proud Wiradjuri woman and financial adviser Nicole Bendeich believes the grants will help inspire more women to prioritise and invest in their own growth and development.
“Balancing family life or a business can make it difficult for women to prioritise their own growth, yet it is essential, not only for us but also for our clients and the advice profession as a whole,” said Ms Bendeich.
The ReCALIbrate program helps foster diversity across the life insurance industry to ensure it is representative of the community it serves and that it provides opportunities for more women to participate.
“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,” said Ms Cupitt.
“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.”
The ReCALIbrate grants will go towards any expenses that support recipients to attend the FAAA Congress in Brisbane later this year, which is the flagship event of the financial advice industry. The theme is “Power Up” and the event will offer advisers a platform to exchange ideas, insights and knowledge across three days.
“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,” said FAAA CEO Sarah Abood.
“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.”
As part of the program, the five recipients will also be paired with senior women in the industry to provide a forum for mentorship, learning, support and career advice.
“Previous recipients have told us that the chance to meet with a senior leader in the industry is an invaluable part of the ReCALIbrate program. Recipients have kept in touch over many months and fostered a mutually beneficial professional relationship and connection,” said Ms Cupitt.
To learn more about ReCALIbrate and this year’s recipients, visit www.cali.org.au/recalibrate.