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Finalists for the FPI/Personal Finance award announced

The Financial Planner of the Year Award is the highest accolade a professional financial planner advisor can obtain.

Jointly sponsored by the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa and Personal Finance magazine, the adjudication process starts with the completion of an application form which includes a sample case study submitted by the applicant.

Pictured above are: Arno Burger, John Campbell and Spalding Fourie

The case study was prepared by Mr Marius Botha. This was a particularly difficult and complex case study and carried 45% of the total marks. The case study was marked by five independent adjudicators who mark them individually without any collaboration.

They are all experts at a specialist level within the profession. The finalists then undergo a site visit at their offices by a panel who use a list of criteria to assess the entrant’s practice from every aspect, The five-member panel included Wendy Hattingh from FSB.

The site visit is key in the whole process and carries 35% of the total marks. Emphasis was placed on Practice Management. The final stage was a panel interview consisting of the Board and senior members of the FPI. This carried 20% of the total marks.

The winner will be announced at the FPI Gala Dinner on 28th May.

This year’s finalists are:

Arno Burger hails originally from the Free State. His career started in the insurance field progressing to his real start as an independent financial planner in 1992. His practice grew from an office in Welkom to opening a Pretoria office in 1999.

He completed a UNISA course in estate administration, followed by a post graduate diploma in Financial Planning through the University of the Free State in 2003.

Today Arno, who is passionate about financial planning, is the managing director of FIDIUS, a fee based financial planning practice in Pretoria where he consults to clients and carries out his mission to positively influence people.

John Campbell: After Graduating from Rhodes University with a B.Comm, John joined Southern Life as a consultant.

After studying to become a CFP® professional in 1995 he became an independent advisor, merging his business with Barclay Hoar in 2000 to form Chartered Wealth Solutions, whereafter it was specialized to formed the Chartered Group - consisting of three entities; Financial Planning, Employee Benefits and Short Term Insurance.

John’s focus has moved specifically to that of Personal Retirement Planning, maintaining group specialists in Retirement Funds, Healthcare, Personal Financial Planning and Short Term Insurance. 

The group’s goal has been to build a holistic financial planning business with specialists in each field, with 23 staff and offices in Rosebank and Pretoria.

Spalding Fourie has a varied background encompassing training and education, human resources, sales and marketing and is currently a specialist investment planner at First National Bank Investment Product House.

At FNB Spalding has established an independent investment planning service function as well as his current duties where he compiles and presents solutions driven strategic investment plans for FNB ‘Premier’ clients.

An avid golfer, Spalding is a CFP® professional, holds a B. Com Business Economics, Honns. Industrial Psychology, M. Com. Personnel Management, and Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning.