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The second annual Women in Finance Awards, presented by Momentum Media in association with principal partner NAB, saw more than 700 representatives from the financial and professional services industries celebrate the work of the women making a difference in accounting, banking, insurance, financial advice, funds management, mortgage broking and superannuation.
Hosted by stand-up comedian and writer Claire Hooper at The Star in Sydney, the event revealed who, out of the 400 submissions, were the winners of the 28 individual and group performance awards for 2018.
For the second year in a row, Deslie Taylor from Mortgage Choice Ormeau took home the award for Mortgage and Finance Broker of the Year.
Speaking to The Adviser following her win last year, Ms Taylor suggested that thinking outside the box in terms of training had helped her achieve greater client outcomes.
Meanwhile, following on from her win as Young Leader of the Year last year, broker and principal of Rise High Financial Solutions Marissa Schulze took home the award for Principal of the Year.
Dr Catriona Wallace, CEO and founder of artificial intelligence assistant company Flamingo AI, took home the award for Fintech Leader of the Year, as well as the Excellence Award.
In a moving speech, Ms Wallace thanked her colleagues for their hard work and called up on stage the winner of the Chief Executive Officer of the Year award, Connie Mckeage, highlighting that they were the first female CEOs to run ASX-listed companies.
Ms Wallace also invited all of the finalists onto the stage to celebrate their successes and highlight the volume of women that are making a difference in the finance world.
Speaking at the event, Katarina Taurian, head of editorial at Momentum Media, congratulated the winners, finalists and everyone who had contributed to the success of the women in the room, adding that the finalists had recognised that their clients want “transparency, immediacy, reliability and results”, and that, “more than ever, they want trust”.
Ms Taurian added that the finalists had not only recognised that change, but that they are “driving it for their clients, [and] at all costs, they’re prioritising their clients’ expectations”.
She concluded: “Your profession is competitive and it is mighty. The only way you could make it to the top of your game is through hard work, absolute determination, sticking to your guns and getting results.
“To our finalists, you might’ve had some good fortune along the way, but you’re here tonight because of your work, your ideas and your leadership.
“Momentum Media is thrilled to recognise your success, and we congratulate you on your stellar achievements.”
The winners of the 2018 Women in Finance Awards are:
Accountant of the Year
Lee Duffield, CMS Private Advisory
Association Professional of the Year
Maria Robinson, Franchise Council of Australia
Auditor of the Year
Shirley Schaefer, BDO Australia
Bookkeeper of the Year
Diane Lucas, Direct Management
Business Development Professional of the Year
Sue Carolan, Allianz Australia
Chief Executive Officer of the Year
Connie Mckeage, OneVue
Chief Financial Officer of the Year
Melanie Woodward, Tactical Global Management
Director of the Year
Judy Snell, RSM Australia
Executive Assistant/Personal Assistant of the Year
Bianca Carr, Shadforth Financial Group
Financial Planner/Adviser of the Year
Joanna Ryan, Lumix Wealth
Fintech Leader of the Year
Catriona Wallace, Flamingo AI
Innovator of the Year
Fiona Macgregor, TAL
Investment Manager of the Year
Sonia Bluzmanis, BT Financial Group
Legal Counsel of the Year
Marj Bhatty, Bluestone
Marketing Professional of the Year
Maria Loyez, SocietyOne
Mentor of the Year
Lynda Coker, Scale Investors
Mortgage and Finance Broker of the Year
Deslie Taylor, Mortgage Choice
Office Administrator of the Year
Nicole Wicks, SMART Business Solutions
Principal of the Year
Marissa Schulze, Rise High Financial Solutions
Regional Professional of the Year
Jane Pollard, Catalyst Accounting & Tax
Small Business Adviser of the Year
Debra Anderson, Anderson Tax & Consulting
SMSF Adviser of the Year
Jemma Sanderson, Cooper Partners Financial Services
Thought Leader of the Year
Lisa Schutz, Verifier
Young Leader of the Year
Lauren Reid, MLC Life Insurance
Employer of the Year
AIA Australia
Employer of the Year (SME)
Cooper Partners
Women’s Community Program of the Year
Women With Cents
Women in Finance Excellence Award
Catriona Wallace, Flamingo AI
This article originally featured in The Adviser
