Author Annie Lillico Lewis

Kearney Group is pleased to announce that the firm’s Financial Planning business has again been awarded top honours by its licensee, Securitor. In addition to being recognised as Securitor’s Practice of the Year in 2008, the firm was thrilled by today’s announcement that Principal Paul Kearney has been named Adviser of the Year (VIC/TAS) for 2010.

“Recognition like this is an honour for our whole firm,” said Kearney. “It is a credit to our entire team, our philosophy, our processes and skill that we were considered for this award, much less the winners.”

Upon being selected from a pool of Victoria’s top advisers and eligible firms, Paul noted that such awards help to validate the Kearney Group’s non-traditional approach to professional financial services. With a corporate philosophy that insists upon the provision of holistic and individually tailored client-centred care, one can easily see how the Kearney Group’s mission flies in the face of traditional ‘formletter’ financial institutions.

“We know that we haven’t sacrificed the quality or quantity of our work by approaching financial services differently,” says Kearney. “And still, receiving this kind of external validation is very motivating.”

Stiff criteria for Adviser of the Year award.

To be considered for the Adviser of the Year award, both the firm and adviser are evaluated against some fairly stiff criteria.

The winner is required to demonstrate:

• The provision of top quality advice
• “A Grade” Compliance to licensee’s standards
• Top quality comprehensive Statements of Advice (SOAs)
• Advocacy within and for the Securitor group
• Diversity of income streams
• Commitment to practice development
• Outstanding outcomes from advice

Kearney Group striving and growing.

In the wake of the Global Financial Crisis, while many businesses posted significant loses, Kearney Group has grown. Drawing on their most current performance data, Paul notes the firm will “comfortably [achieve its] best results ever, in this financial year.”

The firm’s success is due, in part, to the diversity of its income streams. The Group offers financial planning, investment, risk management, debt finance, accounting, taxation and business advice services. Its growth, however, is also indicative of the high quality service that has become synonymous with the Kearney name.

In the last year, the Group has also taken on numerous practice development projects. Significant investment has gone into the design and implementation of the firm’s new budgeting model, data capture and internal KPI reporting systems.

Additionally, the firm has solidified its corporate mission, vision and values. And this, in turn, has helped reinforce the Group’s strategic direction – for both staff and clients alike.

In September 2009, the firm also unveiled its new website. Along with the redevelopment of marketing and corporate materials, this has launched Kearney Group into a new phase of life.

All of these major projects are indicative of the Group’s ongoing commitment to practice development. Moreover, they have been achieved while the firm maintains an “A Grade” Compliance Rating.

Up for national Adviser of the Year award.

Today, Paul and the Group are well known amongst their peers as leaders in Victoria’s financial advice space. Indeed, Paul is in his fourth year as a member of the Securitor Circle; the peak professional development and advisory committee composed of the state’s top 10 advisers.

As Adviser of the Year for the state of Victoria, Paul is now up for the national title.

The winner will be announced at the Securitor Convention in Adelaide next month.

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