The St.James’s Place Academy are proud to celebrate its 100th Graduate to achieve Chartered Planner status since the Academy began in 2012. This is in addition to the over 1,000 Chartered Planners across the SJP Partnership overall.
Former lawyer, Pam Kaur, joined the SJP Academy in April 2016 and graduated from the Academy in April 2019. Following graduation, she began studying for her Chartered qualifications, and today becomes the 100th person from the SJP Academy to achieve Chartered status.
Among the 100 Chartered Planners who started their journey with the SJP Academy, a quarter (25%) are female and their average age is 40. On average, it has taken the 100 Academists four years from joining the Academy to gaining Chartered status.
Prior to joining the Academy, the now-chartered planners came from a diverse range of occupations including professional sports, the British Army, journalism, medical, painting and decorating, and retail, among others.
62% of the Chartered graduates have set up their own businesses across the UK, now employing over 150 additional staff in their respective local areas.
Sean McKillop, Academy Director, comments: “Reaching 100 qualified Chartered Planners from the SJP Academy is an exciting milestone and signals a phenomenal contribution to the profession since we started in 2012.
“Most of these planners started off in entirely different roles and industries, joining the SJP Academy as an entry point to the profession, so we’re incredibly proud to have been able to support these bright and ambitious candidates throughout their careers. Not only is gaining Chartered status a great achievement for them, but by doing so, they are helping to improve the quality of advice and client outcomes, in the UK.”
Pam Kaur, the SJP Academy’s 100th Chartered Planner, comments: “It’s been an incredible four-year journey from working as a lawyer to becoming a qualified planner, and now becoming Chartered. The decision to switch careers wasn’t taken lightly but I quickly became aware of the support available to help reach my goal. For me, this is a significant milestone in my career, and for my clients, it means I’m able to provide the highest standards in financial advice, which feels especially pertinent now more than ever.”