Innovative & passionate professionals.
Innovative & passionate professionals.
Our Story
We have been delivering specialist technical training and licensing compliance solutions to financial workplaces for over two decades.
Our founders strived to improve the quality of financial services education in Australia – a legacy you can trust continues steadfastly to this very day.
Engaged in genuine partnerships with our clients, we actively listen, formulate ideas and develop solutions with you.
What differentiates us is that we seek to contextualise our learning; it is practice-based and focuses on how individual proficiency boosts organisational capability.
Our learning provides the financial services industry with professionals who embody the highest standards of technical proficiency, principled leadership and foresight to plan for change.
Our wealth of in-house educational expertise and extensive financial services practitioner network assures that your learning will comply with regulatory requirements.
Our Values
We are curious. We ask questions. We seek knowledge and know-how. We are curious about how we can do things better. We seek to understand the industry in which we operate. We are curious about our students, our clients and our competitors. We are curious about ourselves and our motivations. We seek understanding.
We act with integrity. We do what we say we are going to do. We act with respect when dealing with our students, our clients, our suppliers, our competitors and each other. We meet deadlines, internal and external, and are fair, open and transparent. We do things the right way, rather than the easy way. We do the right the thing.
We are agile. We understand that we work in an ever-changing industry and working environment. We respond to change with creativity, positivity, and purpose. We anticipate and respond as legislation, markets technology and operating environments evolve. We pivot and stay ahead of the game. We embrace change.
We operate with enterprise. We look for possibilities. We search for ways to enhance our products and services to our students, clients and future markets. We have plans, we take risks and we add value. We invest in ourselves and each other. We continuously evolve and innovate. We create opportunities.
We have the capability and leadership to deliver
Drawing on our connections to regulators, industry associations, PwC Skills for Australia, and practicing subject matter experts, we’re at the forefront of industry developments and emerging issues.
We go beyond just explaining the rules
Our team is committed and agile, and has the knowledge, and a can-do attitude to find what you need now and throughout your educational journey. Explore new opportunities and enhance your lifelong learning experience.
“Sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simply by doing them with the right people”.
– Nicholas Sparks
Our Team
Kate Whiteley
Kate’s interest in financial education was first ignited at Canberra’s Australian National University, where she studied a double degree in Arts and Economics. Kate readily admits that she originally enrolled in economics so she “felt like she was actually going to university and building a career”, while the arts were her real passion. That perspective changed as she gained experience with economics and became a tutor for several classes. She completed her degrees and immediately went in search of a job in financial education.
Commencing her career in 2000 at the Securities Institute of Australia, Kate knew she had found her tribe. Over the next 12 years, Kate explored the various aspects of financial education, holding roles with Finsia and Kaplan. During this time, Kate recognised the sector was in a state of transition, and she began looking for ways to improve outcomes for customers by increasing education and professional standards. She brought this vision to Financial Education Professionals in March 2014, joining the team as Operations Manager, before taking on the role of CEO in July 2015.
Kate believes that the sign of a great leader is not in how many followers they have, but in how many leaders they have created. Her own leadership style is about empowerment; she views herself more as a coach than as a manager. Her favourite workplace tool is a blank whiteboard and a marker ready to capture the next big idea.
Anne Wilkinson
Anne started her career first as an educator in Malaysia. It was here that she saw the power of education as a way not just to improve the quality of life for an individual, but as a tool to raise up entire communities. She has carried this perspective into her work at Financial Education Professionals, where she is responsible for building and maintaining key client relationships and implementing the group’s marketing and sales strategies.
Anne holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the University of London, a Graduate Diploma of Marketing from the London School of Marketing, and a TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training & Assessment. She has also experienced education from the vocational side in her first role in financial services at Commsec.
Having seen firsthand the juggling act working professionals undergo in keeping their credentials up to date, Anne understands the importance of tailoring solutions to meet the specific needs of businesses and their staff.
Driven by this desire to find the right training solution for any organisation, Anne says she is empowered by the knowledge that Financial Education Professionals is providing first-class content to inspire the next generation of financial leaders.
Belinda Brown
With a background spanning multimedia, communications and technical finance, Belinda is a natural fit for her role as Head of Policy and Industry Capability, where she crafts the frameworks upon which Financial Education Professionals builds its products and curriculum. A passionate storyteller, Belinda uses her communication skills to ensure learners understand the context, not just the content, of their training.
Belinda says she was always interested in finance, despite initially undertaking study in the creative arts (she holds a Masters of Arts in Art History and Theory and a Graduate Certificate in Interactive Multimedia). In her first role after study, Belinda worked as a media monitor for iSentia, where she became interested in the compliance and technical aspects of financial services. She subsequently explored these areas in more detail through communication roles at the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Belinda joined Financial Education Professionals in 2017, having previously held roles in content and program creation at Finsia Education and AFMA. She derives immense job satisfaction from combining her affinity for numbers and processes with her creative side, and knowing she is contributing to helping others in the financial services industry feel more confident in their own roles.
Kylie Ashton
Having always embraced variety and creative thinking, Kylie Ashton is a natural fit for the everchanging world of financial services education. As Head of Marketing, her role manages lots of moving parts, including strategy, brand, advertising, digital and communications.
It is within this dynamic environment that Kylie thrives, constantly pivoting to adjust to the changing needs of the customer.
Beginning her career at the Securities Institute of Australia in 2000, Kylie’s passion for marketing was embraced and nurtured, leading her to take on new challenges with organisations including Teacher’s Mutual Bank and ANZ Bank. Throughout these roles, Kylie’s strong teamworking abilities came to the fore, and she loves having the opportunity to innovate and create with her peers.
Kylie herself is a great advertisement for embracing lifelong learning, holding a Bachelor of Education (Macquarie University), Diploma in Financial Markets (SIA) and Graduate Certificate in Marketing (UTS), and most recently completing a Mini-MBA in Marketing and Brand Management.
As she notes, the world of marketing doesn’t stand still, so you have to continually ensure your knowledge is up to date.
Deborah Gunawan
When Deb joined Financial Education Professionals in 2016, she was surprised and delighted at how collaborative her team was. She believes the diverse backgrounds and personalities of the team are what helps Financial Education Professionals innovate. And because Deb’s role puts her in direct communication with our clients, her feedback into product and program development is invaluable.
Working on the “front-line” with Financial Education Professionals’ clients means Deb must be on top of regulatory change as soon as it happens. She is continually updating her industry knowledge and has an in-depth understanding of the various licensing and compliance obligations that apply to the industry (and how organisations can achieve them through training).
Deb’s role not only requires her to be up to date with the regulatory landscape, it also demands a high degree of flexibility. She takes the time to truly listen to the client and guides them through a customised education journey, which she adapts depending on their unique needs. Deb says one of the most satisfying parts of her role as Client Advisor is when she can offer a solution above and beyond what the client was initially looking for.