Five financial advisers are getting a helping hand from Fidelity Life to develop their leadership skills by taking part in an Outward Bound course.
More than 45 advisers registered their interest to attend the five-day course, the cost of which is being subsidised by the insurer.
Fidelity Life Head of Distribution Mel Beattie says advisers gave a wide range of reasons for wanting to take part in the adventure – from wanting to connect with the outdoors to improving their mental health, ticking off a personal bucket list item, and wanting to build better leadership skills.
Following the month-long selection, the five advisers selected are:
- Annette Arnold, Farmers Mutual Group
- Jamie Norton, RMA Financial
- Laken Gallop, Financial Independence
- Maryann Pratt, Professional Investment Services Manawatu
- Philip Robinson, Phil Robinson Insurance
Fidelity Life’s sponsorship with Outward Bound was announced at its Engage 2022 adviser conference in July.
“We hope advisers attending the Outward Bound course find long term value from this transformative experience, and can apply their learnings to both their personal and professional lives,” says Beattie.
One adviser who completed the course last November is Phil Robinson. He says he came away with much more than he could’ve imagined.
“This experience has enabled me to understand people from the perspective of ‘who they are’ without preconceived notions and really helped me recognise the reasons for their behaviours,” says Robinson.
“It altered my filter from judgmental to receptive, which has no doubt helped me be a better adviser to my clients, a better leader to my staff, and a better support to my family.”
Fidelity Life’s sponsorship of Outward Bound also includes opportunities for internal staff and the provision of 20 external scholarships a year. The scholarships are awarded to a group of diverse young New Zealanders to complete a 21-day course to develop lifelong skills to give back to their communities.