One of the founders of NextGen Planners has told Financial Planning Today that it was built to shake up the sector and ‘flip it on its head’.

NextGen’s Adam Carolan FPFS told FP Today that the “profession as a whole seems too internally focused”.

The organisation has been growing strongly over the last year and is on the verge of opening an academy, as its training programme gains momentum and popularity.

Although in its early days, the group was attracting predominantly younger planners, Mr Carolan explained that it is for all forward thinking professionals of any age group.

He said: “The Academy was created with one goal in mind; to help anyone in financial planning, whatever stage they are at in their career, achieve their potential.

“This isn't just for younger financial planners. We are keen to support anyone that believes they will be growing with us over the next 10 years and beyond.

“We must give a voice to the people who are doing great work so that those who are rooted in the past are drowned out.

“That might be a lofty goal but it only takes a new face or brand to gain that trust and we are hoping that NextGen Planners as a community of excellent financial planners is exactly that. One of our mottos is "always learning" and we don't think there is an end goal.”

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Mr Carolan told FP Today: “The profession as a whole seems too internally focused. We built NextGen Planners to flip it on its head and the Academy is the natural next step.

“What would we want as a client? How would we want to be treated? What are the services I expect for the fees I am paying? How can I use technology to enhance my proposition? How can we give back to those less fortunate?

“It is wrong to think that you ever master the art of financial planning and when you get your qualifications, for me that is only the starting point to making a difference to the people you meet as a financial planner.”

He believes the professional bodies are starting to understand that planners are the “gatekeepers and where the real value lies in the future”.

He said: “This is why we are starting to see more time and effort into this space and I am excited for the financial planning community now.

“It is important that as planners we support the professional bodies in getting the benefits of financial planning out to the public and this must be the continual message we get behind.”

NextGen planners is also holding its first ever conference later this year.