The Financial Planning Association of Australia (FPA) has appointed HOPE Housing Fund Management chief operating officer Sarah Abood as its next chief executive after Dante De Gori announced in July that he would depart the organisation after 12 years.
Abood will begin in the role from mid-January 2022 and De Gori will stay at the FPA until the end of January to ensure a smooth transition.
Abood has 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry and has been with HOPE since April 2020, and prior to that was chief executive of Profile Financial Services for nine years. Previous roles have covered marketing and distribution at Fidelity International, Colonial First State, BT Financial Group and Rothschild Asset Management.
FPA chair Marisa Broome said Abood has an impressive background in the industry and is the ideal replacement for De Gori.
“Sarah impressed the board with her deep understanding of the financial planning profession and the demands of running a financial planning practice gained from her nine years as CEO of Profile Financial Services. She is also very passionate about the financial planning profession and how it has transformed itself in recent times,” Broome said.
Abood said: “I am impressed by the FPA’s vision for the future of financial planning as a vibrant and integral part of Australia’s prosperity and look forward to playing my part in achieving this.
“The FPA is the largest professional association for financial planners and has a strong track-record and heritage in supporting their needs. It is strongly positioned to continue supporting its members and the financial planning profession as a whole as it enters 2022.
“There is growing recognition of the role that financial planners play in helping Australians meet their financial goals and achieve financial security. In particular, financial planners have a crucial part to play in supporting the post-pandemic economic recovery.”
Broome said Abood would build upon the work of De Gori, whose contribution and advocacy were instrumental in helping develop recognition for financial planning as a profession.
“He will leave a lasting positive legacy at the FPA and we wish him all the best for his future plans,” she said.
