Unified Financial Services principal and industry veteran Michelle Tate-Lovery has been awarded the inaugural Money Management / Super Review Mentor of the Year title.
Having experienced both sides of the mentor/mentee relationship, Tate-Lovery knows the value career guidance and support can have on young female financial planners.
And despite being busy running her own firm, she has selflessly dedicated herself to helping young planners find their place in what can be a daunting and isolating profession.
“My motivation for mentoring is to give back, and help the mentee realise their full potential,” she said.
“Often mentoring takes you to a place you didn’t think possible in a shorter period than you first thought.”
Tate-Lovery concedes that for the first half of her career, she had no mentors to guide her career progression.
“You could say I did it the hard way,” she said in her submission.
Although she was well on her way to becoming a successful financial planner, establishing Unified Financial Services in 1994, she felt alone at times, without the reassurance her goals were on track.
However, about a decade ago, a few supportive colleagues offered Michelle a sounding board, which she credits as instrumental to her later success.
Since then, she’s built up her financial planning empire and won several awards, including the Money Management Financial Planner of the Year Award and the Financial Planning Association (FPA) Best Practice award (National) in the CFP Professional category.
She has also taken on very active mentorship roles with up-and-coming female planners and other professionals through three formal programs.
“I serve to inspire them to continue their journey, mostly as a financial planner, despite the challenges they face,” Tate-Lovery said.
“Over the course of a few hours, I provide them with one or two tips to help them through their immediate hurdle.”
FPA CEO Mark Rantall said the impact Tate-Lovery has on her mentees is visible, even from an outsider’s point of view.
“Her presentation audiences, including advisers at industry events, leave inspired about the impact financial planning has, for people to take charge of their financial position and find out what’s really possible in life,” he said.
Click here to find out more about the winners in the Women in Financial Services Awards.
