Barry O’Mahony wins Financial Planner of the Year 2013!

Cape Town-based Barry O’Mahony, the founder of Veritas Wealth Management, was honoured as the Financial Planner of the Year at the annual conference of the Financial Planning Institute (FPI) in Sandton on the 11th June. The award is co-sponsored by the FPI and Personal Finance.

O’Mahony says he is honoured to have been selected for the award considering that it is one of the highest accolades in the financial planning industry.

He was one of three finalists for the award. Shaun Latter, the founder of Johannesburg-based Quaestor Wealth Management, and Donovan Adams, of Chartered Wealth Solutions in Johannesburg, were the other two contenders. All three finalists are holders of the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) accreditation.

To receive the CFP accreditation, financial planners have to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning and join the FPI and subscribe to its code of ethics.

To be eligible for the award, financial planners have to submit at least two detailed financial plans, subject their businesses to a site visit and take part in a panel interview. Three different panels drawn from the financial planning industry, financial planning academics and Personal Finance’s editor, Laura du Preez, participated in the judging.

O’Mahony holds an Honours degree in economics and diplomas in business administration, social studies and financial planning.

He played rugby for Ireland before he came to South Africa in 1993 and joined Appleton Asset Management. Thereafter, O’Mahony joined Brait Unit Trusts as a director, and he moved to ipac South Africa as the head of practice development.

Godfrey Nti, chief executive officer of the FPI, says O’Mahony’s “passion and substantial financial planning experience has positioned him as an asset to the financial services industry”.

O’Mahony is also the founder of the JDI (Just Do It) Foundation, which gives young professionals an opportunity to use their skills, time, energy and money to help non-governmental organisations.


He also founded the Vuka Tournament with the SA Rugby Legends to help schools in the townships to play rugby.

Latter is a Certified Life Coach and is vice-chairperson for the FPI’s client engagement industry sector group.

Latter has a diploma in business management from the University of South Africa and, in addition to his Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning, he has two higher postgraduate diplomas: one in estate planning and one in asset types and investment instruments.

Latter promotes financial planning in the media and has hosted Financially Speaking on CNBC Africa.

Adams, originally from Port Elizabeth, holds a BCom Honours and an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning.

He worked for Consolidated Financial Planning before joining Chartered Wealth.