Carla Brown Points to Renewed PFS Momentum and Ecitement for What is to Come
Positive Results
(Copyright PFS, reproduced with kind permission)
ersonal Finance Society (PFS) President Carla Brown says the professional body is seeing renewed momentum, with rising member engagement, growing membership, and major work under way to support the next generation of financial planners.
Speaking to Luke Holloway, editor of the Personal Finance Professional in a mid-year podcast interview, Carla Brown said the past 18 months had been “incredibly busy but incredibly rewarding”, with the PFS becoming more visible, more engaged and more focused on listening to members. She said the passion she had seen across the profession had been one of the most motivating parts of her presidency, adding that financial planning is ultimately “about people’s lives”.
Carla said the PFS had made great strides in reconnecting with members and was working to make communication more two-way and to help members feel part of a wider professional community, noting that: “We’re stronger when we all work together and we all push towards the same things.” She added that the society was also ‘shouting about professionalism more clearly’, supporting members not only with technical excellence, but also as business owners, leaders and employers.
Carla also highlighted PFS POWER as “the jewel in the PFS crown”, describing it as a practitioner-led resource that helps members share practical insight, real-life experience and the human skills that sit alongside technical knowledge.
Taking that altogether, Carla said: “We’re seeing really positive results now. Our NPS score is increasing. We’ve actually had the membership base increase for the first time in years, which is brilliant. People are starting to talk about the PFS as being the place to be.”
A major focus of Carla’s presidency has been improving access to financial education and widening awareness of financial planning as a career. She said education had been at the heart of her presidency from day one and would continue beyond her term.
“If we can improve people’s financial acumen, if we can give them the tools to navigate good financial decisions, we can stop so much financial harm. Let’s try and stop the problem before it starts, rather than trying to pick up the pieces further down the line.”
Carla also highlighted the progress of Pathway to the Profession, the flagship talent initiative launched last year. She said the initiative had exceeded its initial target of 500 new members and R05 exam places, reaching around 520, with dozens of participants already passing the assessment. Carla said she had been encouraged by participants contacting her directly, connecting on LinkedIn and beginning to take visible steps into the profession, including attending PFS events as aspiring financial planners and advisers.
She said the next phase would focus on supporting employers to take on new entrants, including work around employer frameworks, internships and work experience, while also using social media to reach the next generation ‘where they’re hanging out’.
The PFS President also pointed to renewed activity around events and member resources, including the Festival of Financial Planning in November, the Business of Advice, paraplanning conferences, regional roadshows, graduation events and PFS Personal Finance Awards. She said the Festival would place strong emphasis on connection, technical content, networking and support for those considering a career in financial planning.
She said: “I hope people will come away feeling energised, informed and excited to be part of something huge.”
