FPA narrows choice for new chief

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) will announce a replacement for former FPA chief executive officer, Michael McKenna, in early October, according to FPA Chairman Ray Griffin.

The Financial Planning Association (FPA) will announce a replacement for former FPA chief executive officer, Michael McKenna, in early October, according to FPA Chairman Ray Griffin.

Griffin says he and his fellow committee members are entering the final stages of filling the top spot, with a short list of four candidates already finalised.

“We are very pleased with the quite high level of candidates,” he says. “We are now down to four.”

“People did not apply for the position, our research firm, John Allen Associates re-ferred many of the candidates to us,” says Griffin.

He says a total 15 people have been considered for the position before shortening the list to the current four.

Griffin says the types of professional backgrounds the candidates have include a range of people from inside and outside of the financial services industry.

Griffin’s says in this day and age, people of this level of management can transfer their skills over to fit any position adequately.

“What we are looking for is someone with the skills to take us forward. They need to be skilled in areas of managing business, and be willing to take forward on the policy front,” he says.

The hunt for a replacement chief executive officer began mid this year following the resignation of Michael McKenna.

In an effort to find a replacement a high level committee including Ray Griffin, in-coming chairman John Hewison, independent FPA director David Elsum and FPA director Kevin Bailey was established.

The Committee was devised by FPA chairman Ray Griffin in consultation with the FPA board. Elsum, an external director who sits on the board was chosen for his broad experience in corporate governance and management.

Bailey was chosen for his involvement in a task force that reviewed the brief and the job description.