Aimee Marshall, 25, a financial planning assistant who works for Financial Planner Unividual in Corsham, Wilts, is training to become a Chartered Financial Planner on Unividual’s academy Unicademy. As part of the programme Aimee passed her Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning in December 2016 and has been working towards her Advanced Diploma with the Chartered Insurance Institute.

She was surprised when she received a letter a few months ago inviting her to an awards evening.

She said: “At the beginning of my Advanced Diploma I took two pension exams which are really tough. The AF3 Pension Planning exam only has an approximate pass rate of 30% and I was pleased that I passed both exams in December 2016 and on my Pension Income Options exam (JO5), I was awarded a Distinction. 

“I was still quite surprised to be sent a letter by the CII inviting me to an awards evening as I had received the highest mark for the JO5 paper out of all the exam sitters in the 2016/17 tax year from the Bristol CII Group."

She was presented with her award for ‘CII Best Paper J05 Award’ this week at an awards ceremony organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute Bristol branch. The evening celebrated members’ success with key people from across the industry attending. 

She added: “The route to becoming a Chartered Financial Planner has involved me sitting 12 exams whilst I train on the job in my full-time role for Unividual across various technical areas. We have had around 25 training workshops and countless study days so to be recognised in this way is so rewarding not just for myself but for Unividual and the Unicademy programme.  It hasn’t been easy but now the end is in sight we are all looking forward to the next steps in our career.”

Unicademy was set up by two directors from Unividual, Lewis Baxter, a Chartered Financial Planner, and Cherie-Anne Baxter a Chartered Marketing Director, to tackle the diminishing numbers of advisers in the profession. 

Unividual, established by managing director John Baxter in 2000, has 15 members of staff with eight Financial Planning assistants on the Unicademy programme. 

Cherie-Anne Baxter, who went to the awards event with Ms Marshall, said: “I was really proud to accompany Aimee as I know all the dedication and extra hours she put in to reach her best. Everyone at Unividual works hard, a Unividual employee is someone who wants to reach the pinnacle of their career by listening, learning and applying. This is great recognition for Aimee herself and Unicademy.”