In case you have not seen the Awards site, here is some more information about the two winners:
Paraplanner of the Year
Rebecca Kowalski from Milne Craig in Scotland.
I am 41 and am married with 3 children.
I started my career in insurance/ financial services at 18 in Bristol. I worked for Sun Life HO for 4 years and almost completed the Associate of Chartered Insurers ( the final quants paper is the only exam I have ever failed!)
After 4 years, I decided it was time to escape Bristol and spent some time travelling. I worked aboard for the summer and helped run a bar on the Aegean coast of Turkey. I returned to England to go to University and get a degree and study languages (having got a taste for travelling, I had decided to become the next Kate Adie!). I started a course in Russian and Spanish at Sheffield University in 1990, age 24. This was a great 4 years, which included 6 months living and studying in the Ukraine and 6 months in Cuba.
I met my husband during my last year at University and we got married soon after. His career path brought us to Glasgow and I re-entered Financial Services, as it was the best way to get a job that would cover the nursery fees!
Much to my amazement, I found I really enjoyed working in the IFA environment, unlike my previous Head Office admin function . I loved the pace, the challenge of the sales environment and the variety of the work. I worked in a Sales Support role for 2 years at the IFA arm of a major bank and completed my FPC. Shortly after, I obtained a position as Trainee IFA at a very large firm specialising in pensions management and employee benefits, which allowed me to develop skills as a fee based adviser. However, both my second and third child arrived on the scene in rapid succession at that time and I decided to stop working for a while, although I continued to study for and pass AFPC papers while taking a break.
I started my career as a Paraplanner in 2000, when my youngest child was about 9 months old and ever since I have worked part time in this role, initially for a small family run firm and latterly for a larger firm of Chartered Accountants, which provides opportunity for me to return to full time hours as the children grow up.
My children are now aged 8,9 and 12 and I combine my role as a Paraplanner with the usual domestic chores, taxi driving etcetera. I have always used the fact that I work part time to allow me to play an active role in my local Community,and at various stages I have run the Play Group, the Out of School Club, coached football and athletics to local kids, been a member of the Community Council. helped out at Girl Guides and taken part in the School ‘Eco Committee’.
I really enjoy being a Paraplanner, it’s interesting and stimulating and your efforts are so much more appreciated than your efforts as a parent! I guess it also suits me because I get to do the investigating and reporting that Kate Adie did, but am not in danger of getting shot at the same time!
Rising Star of the Year:
Alison Helm – Mearns & Co also in Scotland
Originally from South Africa, I moved to the UK after finishing school and went to Edinburgh University where I obtained a Neuroscience Honours degree. After university, I took a temporary job as a Customer Services Adviser with Bank of Scotland Mortgages while I thought about what career path I might follow. This temporary job turned into a permanent job and I decided to obtain qualifications to help me progress further.
While studying for the Certificate in Mortgage Advice, I was exposed to other areas of financial advice and became interested in pursuing a career in holistic advice rather than focusing solely on mortgages. I was offered a job by Mearns & Company, based in Edinburgh, in November 2005 as a Client Support Administrator.
Mearns & Company are holistic financial advisers and improving knowledge through exams is an important part of the firm’s culture, with the Director and firm as a whole having achieved Chartered status. Over the last few years, I have obtained CF1-6 and started working towards my diploma, which I hope to complete in October this year. At the same time, my responsibilities at Mearns & Company have increased and I am now a full paraplanner and mortgage adviser as well as being responsible for ensuring that the firm meets its regulatory requirements.
