Association head named in Queen’s honours list

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2019 was revealed this morning (10 June) and includes several members of the finance industry, including the head of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA), Peter White.

Mr White has been appointed as an AM for outstanding achievement and merit in services to the finance sector for over 41 years.

FBAA board chairman Tony Carter said the award was due recognition for Mr White’s life-long commitment to the industry and those who work within the sector.

“I and the FBAA board of directors, on behalf of our members, congratulate Peter for achieving this great honour. He has always used his incredible knowledge and energy to help others in a variety of ways. 

“His service to the community goes beyond looking after the needs of finance brokers and their clients. He has been instrumental in ensuring FBAA is recognised as a highly effective and professional voice of industry. He is also recognised for helping to bring about positive changes that impact on consumers everywhere, in Australia and overseas,” Mr Carter said. 

He continued: “Peter has had great success recently with government, influencing at the highest levels on regulation and legislation, meeting regularly with the federal government, treasury, ASIC and the ATO. 

“All who know Peter understand how much he cares about brokers. He is well known and admired for his advocacy for mental health awareness.” 

Mr White accepted the award on behalf of all his colleagues who strive to make a difference.

“I am humbled to be considered worthy of this honour. I am part of a team that works tirelessly for the financial services industry and specifically our mortgage broking sector, and I wouldn’t be able to achieve half of what I do without them.” 

Speaking to The Adviser, Mr White added that he was “honoured” and “at a rare loss for words” for receiving the award, which recognises his significant service to the finance sector and the community.

It is expected that Mr White and the other recipients of the AMs will receive the insignia of their awards at investiture ceremonies from the Governor-General at Government House in Canberra later this year.

The ceremonies typically take place in September/October. 

According to the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove, the honours “help define, encourage and reinforce our national aspirations, ideals and standards by identifying those among us who make an outstanding contribution to our society”.

“The recipients of Australian honours and awards are very special men and women whose actions have set them apart and enriched our community across a broad range of professional, public and community service sectors.

“In their daily lives, these admirable people demonstrate those values that we as a nation hold dear – compassion, civility, dedication, courage, kindness, tolerance and energetic ambition. They inspire us all to be more enthusiastic and giving, to uphold the responsibility of being fully engaged citizens.”

Mr White was recently appointed as the inaugural chair of the board of governors for the global International Mortgage Brokers Federation, which seeks to share best practice and knowledge to ensure the highest standards of broking around the world.

He is currently an advisory board member of the Small Business Association of Australia and founder of The Sanity Space Foundation, a charitable fund he set up to assist parents of special needs children.

[Related: FBAA director to lead broker federation as chair]