BT launches female adviser network

BT Financial Group (BTFG) has made a further push to attract female financial planners with the launch of the Stella Network.

The network, which aims to attract women wishing to enter the financial planning industry, is an extension of BT's earlier announcement that it aims to double the number of female financial advisers working for the group. It will provide workshops, events, networking opportunities and greater insight into what it's like to work in financial planning.

According to BT, women were under-represented in the financial planning industry, accounting for less then 20 per cent of 16,500 advisers in Australia.

"Australians need more financial advice than ever before and more planners to meet this demand," said BTFG general manager of advice Mark Spiers.

"The industry needs to respond to this through more workplace flexibility, improved technology and increased professionalism to ensure we meet the financial needs of more Australians."

He added the industry could strengthen the understanding of financial planning as a career and work to develop the employment support to target women.

"By better reflecting the broader diversity of the community, we hope to establish more rewarding relationships between financial planners and Australians."

Earlier this year BT announced it would double the number of female financial planners working in its bank-aligned businesses — Westpac and St George Financial Planning — by 2015.

This means the number of female financial planners working for BT's bank-channelled advice would be 70 — a jump from 26 per cent to 46 per cent.