2008
The judges have all been very busy this week and we would like to thank them all for the efforts and professionalism. The results in the end were very close in both categories which shows the high standard of paraplanners and we are pleased to announce that the winners for 2008 are:
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.
James Temperley of Grant Thornton won the iPod draw and also came second in the Paraplanner of the Year.
