Judging the awards
The judging process
Applications will be reviewed and assessed by an external panel of respected professionals.
The award winners will be selected through the following three judging stages:
Stage 1 – preliminary review
The Aged Care Steps team will review all applications to ensure the application has been fully completed the award criteria has been met. Details on eligible applicants will be submitted to the judging panel. The award criteria include quantitative and qualitative achievements to consider the quality of advice, leadership, innovation, marketing activity and success.
Stage 2 – selecting the finalists
Each judge will individually assess and score applications across the award criteria. The scores are then combined, with the top scoring applicants selected as finalists.
Stage 3 – determining the category winners
The judging panel will determine the overall winner in each category based on the judging results and criteria. The judges reserve the right to ask for further details as required.
There will be one winner for each category. The decision of the judging panel is final.
Announcing the winners
The winners will be announced via the Aged Care Steps digital channels, and via press release to relevant industry media.
Once finalists have been selected, the finalists will be notified personally and will also be announced publicly via social media and Aged Care Steps marketing activities. Finalists will be emailed digital marketing collateral that can be used to promote their achievements in their own social media activity and client communications.
The winner(s) will be emailed updated digital marketing collateral to promote their success and will also receive a trophy.
2025 Judging Panel
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Phil Anderson | GM Policy, Advocacy & Standards, FAAA
Phil has spent 10 years in the professional association world including in two different stints with the AFA. Phil has been in the financial services industry for over 25 years, having also worked with AMP, MLC, Perpetual, CFS and Netwealth.
Phil has been actively involved in financial advice policy and advocacy for over 10 years, including the Quality of Advice Review, implementation of the requirements of the Professional Standards legislation and the Banking Royal Commission recommendations. Phil has previously been integrally involved in the Future of Financial Advice, Tax Agent Services Act, and Life Insurance Framework reforms.
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Sue Viskovic | Founder Elixir Consulting
Sue Viskovic is Founder of Elixir Consulting, a specialist business consulting firm dedicated to helping financial services firms grow and improve outcomes for their owners, clients and team members.
A passionate advocate for financial advice, Sue and her team work with advice firms around Australia on all aspects of their business, from their strategic planning to pricing, to the delivery and enhancement of their value proposition. She brings a unique depth of knowledge of both the client perspective and the business perspective of aged care advice.
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Andrew Inwood | Founder CoreData Group
Andrew Inwood is the founder and principal of CoreData and has more than 30 years’ experience in the Australian financial services industry. Across his extensive career he has worked for Rothschild Australia Asset Management, AMP Investments, AMP, Virgin Direct in the UK, Wizard Home Loans and Telstra.
He founded CoreData, a global market research consultancy in 2002. In the past 20 years, CoreData has expanded out of Sydney to have offices in Perth, London, Boston and Manila. Andrew is the author of more than 50 pieces of significant research into clients and their behaviour and has a particular focus on the value of the client experience in financial services.