FPA announces new board

First time contenders Paul Gerrard and Bruce Beakey have won a seat on the Financial Planning Association’s board, outpolling incumbents Andrew Heaven and Dominic Alafaci, who failed in their bids for re-election.

Current board member Julie-Anne Berry of Bridges Financial Services and Matt Lawler of MLC, who did not have to face a poll, won the two other board seats that were up for re-election.

Gerrard, from APT Strategy, will represent principal members with less than 50 authorised representatives, the role contested by Alafaci.

Gerrard told Money Management during the campaign it was his intention to make the FPA more relevant to smaller dealer groups.

Beakey, of Aon Wealth Management, will fill one of the board’s two practitioner member positions — also contested by Heaven — with the other seat going to Berry, who will serve a further two-year term.

Beakey said he wanted to reduce the burden of current FSR requirements on financial planners who were “tired of having their names dragged through the mud”, and to rid the community of unlicensed “crooks”.

“ASIC needs to stop destroying the reputation of financial planners and actually start looking at the people that are out there ripping people off,” Beakey said.

Lawler will represent principal members with more than 50 authorised representatives. He was appointed to the board without a ballot when no other nominations were received for the position.

Genesys Wealth Advisers’ managing director Ray Miles, whose seat on the board was also up for re-election, did not contest the ballot.

Board members will commence their terms after the FPA’s annual general meeting on November 18, 2005, when current chair Kathryn Greiner will also step aside for chair elect Corinna Dieters.