Maragna leads list of AFA award winners



Olivia Maragna has taken out the Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) Adviser of the Year Award at the conclusion of the association's annual conference on the Gold Coast last night.
Maragna won the AFA's inaugural Female Excellence in Advice Award last year, and nine years ago founded self-licensed Brisbane-based boutique Aspire Retire Financial Services. She mentors three advisers, is a Justice of the Peace and is also an active member of the AFA for both the Queensland State Chapter and the AFA Foundation, the association stated.
Christine Hornery from AMP Financial Planning practice Financial Management Solutions on the NSW Central Coast took out the AFA Female Excellence in Advice Award, earning her a $5,000-plus scholarship for an executive leadership course at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, the AFA stated.
Dean Lombardo from Access Financial Management in Malvern, Victoria, won the 2012 Excellence in Education Award.
And Barry Toohey, who is managing director of top 50 dealer group Gold Financial and an AFA life member, was awarded the Michael Murphy Award, a 'best and fairest' accolade in honour of the late former AFA president Michael Murphy.
Toohey is a past AFA president for Victoria and Tasmania, served two terms as national vice-president and has sat on numerous AFA committees, including the Education, Ethics and Compliance committee, the AFA stated.
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