BDM of the Year – state winners

Western Australia

Michael Angwin, van Eyk Research

Michael Angwin has been a BDM for three years, but has been part of the financial services industry for more than a decade.

He joined van Eyk 18 months ago after stints with the Commonwealth Bank and Credit Suisse covering a variety of roles. Angwin’s first exposure to the distribution side of the industry came about through the Colonial First State Geared Investments division.

According to Angwin, it is an exciting time to be associated with financial planning.

“Over the last three years we’ve seen the level of advice become a lot better,” he says.

“Because of reform and new legislation there’s a lot more support from the overall industry, whether it’s coming from the dealer groups, research houses, or fund managers.”

South Australia/Northern Territory

Gabriel Carey, Rural Funds Management

Gabriel Carey entered the financial services industry after spending 10 years in the Royal Australian Air Force.

He joined Rural Funds Management in 2003 and has been with the firm ever since.

He is upbeat about the ever-changing environment within financial services and believes the Financial Services Reform Act has helped to strengthen and raise the profile of the industry.

“To me, one of the beauties of being in the industry is you are helping people who are in real need,” Carey says.

Carey also took out the boutique category in the Money Management/Tribeca BDM of the Year Awards.

Victoria/Tasmania

Kate McDermott, Credit Suisse

McDermott has been with Credit Suisse for four years.

Her path to financial services began after she changed careers from public relations by completing the Diploma of Financial Planning.

As of March 2007, McDermott will be acting state manager for one year across Victoria and Tasmania.

Commenting on the industry, McDermott says: “Financial services is a very dynamic industry to be a part of. It offers daily challenges, a frantic work schedule, constant professional development, endless change to rules and regulations. I can honestly say I have never had a dull moment since joining Credit Suisse four years ago.”

NSW/ACT

Hemant Raval, AMP

Raval has been a BDM for AMP in NSW for more than eight years.

He began his career in the financial planning industry as a teenager, taking on a role with a small Wollongong-based practice directly after high school.

Interestingly, despite his career climb since then, Raval still considers his first role as being the reason for choosing the path of a BDM.

“It helped me understand the linkages between client needs, how strategy would enable the outcomes, and where funds needed to be invested to achieve their goals. By attending client appointments with the senior planner, I started to see the process of needs-based selling, a skill which I would need in my future role as a BDM,” Raval recalls.

Queensland

Paul Slattery, AXA

Slattery began his career with AXA in 1973 with National Mutual, working in the administration area of corporate superannuation until the late 1980s, when he was appointed superannuation account service manager.

In 2000 he was appointed BDM at the AXA aligned planner groups AXA Financial Planning and Charter Financial Planning.

On his outlook for the sector, Slattery says the recent superannuation changes announced in the current Federal Budget have made the general need for financial advice among Australians “greater than ever”.

“In particular, these have provided a great window of opportunity to enhance super benefits for the client approaching retirement.”