Fabulous four make championship round

Four industry winners have emerged from the second round of the SCMP/IFPHK Financial Planner Awards 2008. They are Galen Chan Chi-kit, a premier relationship manager at HSBC, and Bank of China (Hong Kong) senior wealth-management manager Michelle Chan Suk-han in the banking sector; ipac Financial Planning senior vice-president Sheila Dickinson, representing the independent financial advisory field; and Cathy Wong Siu-fong, Manulife's senior financial adviser, for the insurance industry.

Two financial planners from the banking sector would compete in the final round this year instead of one because they received the same top score, organisers said. They will also share the title of industry winner for this year's competition.

The four finalists will now face-off in the championship round of the competition, which is in its fourth consecutive year.

They will make final presentations to the panel of judges in October at the Bankers Club in Central. Hong Kong's Best Financial Planner of the Year 2008 will be announced on November 6 at the JW Marriott.

Entering the final round of the competition, each of the four remaining financial planners will be given a hypothetical financial planning case study. Each finalist will have to draft a financial plan to meet the hypothetical client's financial objectives and submit it by September 16.

'I was so amazed to hear the news and, of course, I am very happy and feel that all that effort I have spent in the past few months has not gone to waste,' said HSBC's Mr Chan. 'But, on the other hand, I feel I have to face a new challenge, the final round, which is going to be a lot tougher than the first two.'

Formerly employed in the garment sector, Mr Chan enjoys his spare time engaging in sports.