This certified financial planner was awarded the highest distinction in her profession after
being crowned as the Financial Planning Institute’s (FPI) Financial Planner of the Year for 2022/23. The Award, launched in 2000, is the most prestigious accolade in the industry, where the professional body recognised Palesa Dube as South Africa’s top candidate who demonstrated exceptional service and impeccable ethics in client service and who brought innovation, flawless skill as well as all-round excellence to her profession. But what makes this award special is not only that she is exceptional at her job, and a practising member of the FPI with 18 years of industry-related experience, but the fact that she was the first woman of colour to be bestowed this honour.
It was a demanding contest, which included candidates submitting a detailed financial plan based on a given case study, an ethics and practice standards audit, and a final panel interview testing their grasp of legislation and industry trends. In her acceptance speech Palesa emphasised the importance of financial planning for households, who need to be keenly attuned to their personal values and how these influence their financial and legacy aspirations. “As professionals we need to respond to this need with more than just our technical skills but more with a deep sense of care,” she said