The legacy of highly regarded financial services publisher and journalist Greg Bright has been recognised with a new scholarship established in his name by the representative body for superannuation fund executives, which he co-founded.
The Fund Executives Association Limited (FEAL) announced the Greg Bright Scholarship for Excellence in Member Communications was open to emerging leaders in its member funds who work in member communications and are passionate about making a tangible difference in this area.
Its inaugural sponsor is financial communications and marketing firm Honner, which was established by Bright mentee Philippa Honner, who said the decision to support the award was both professional and personal.
“He backed me when I was starting out as a financial journalist and his steady mentoring and networking support helped give me the confidence to launch Honner at a time when being a young ‘entrepreneur’ wasn’t so fashionable,” Honner added.
Bright, who launched multiple publications for the superannuation industry, conceived of FEAL in 1999 when he could foresee the growth that was coming for the industry.
Another protégée of Bright, Evolution Media Group chief executive and founder Vanessa Stoykov, worked with him to launch the association in 1999.
“It was exciting because it was very greenfield days in super. They were still called fund secretaries and Greg was convinced they needed a forum where they could meet, without feeling like competition was going to stop conversation,” Stoykov told selfmanagedsuper.
“Greg would be thrilled that everyone is honouring him.”
The winner of the scholarship will attend the five-day FEAL Emerging Leaders Program at Melbourne Business School.
FEAL chair Brian Delaney said it was important for the organisation to honour Bright’s legacy.
“Greg’s vision for the superannuation funds to come together and collaborate to deliver leadership development to their executives and senior leaders has driven FEAL’s purpose for the last 26 years,” Delaney said.
Bright passed away aged 70 in August last year.
