2003 National and State Winners


Shaun Lee
2003 National Winner and NSW State Winner

At age 25, Shaun Lee was one of the youngest finalists in the Paraplanner of the Year Award.

"I'd like to eventually become a financial planner so paraplanning is a good stepping stone. There's no set time frame, I'm happy and comfortable where I'm at right now but I'm always looking to learn and do a little more. At Arrive, my official title is associate adviser, but my role is the same as a paraplanner. I work closely with a senior adviser and get the opportunity to meet clients and establish a relationship. It's a great advantage especially if you're looking to move into an advisory role. One of my aims is to become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

"One of my strengths is my mathematical background. I have a quantitative approach to solving clients' problems, and I think that allows me to find the optimum solution in most cases. I also possess an extensive knowledge of the VisiPlan software and I've developed a lot of Excel models and plans.

"I believe the role of the paraplanner will continue to evolve. In the past, paraplanners simply wrote financial plans. However, paraplanning is now much more than an administrative function. The modern paraplanner is involved in the design and development of strategies, the modelling of financial plans, research and document presentation. They also have a closer relationship with clients. It's much more interesting."

Jodi Adams
Tasmania State Winner

Alistair Gay
Victoria State Winner

Anthony Tascone
Western Australia State Winner

Michael Payne
South Australia State Winner

Jenny Mitropoulos
Queensland State Winner