The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) has named the first two recipients of its expanded 2026 ReCALIbrate program. One has just finished her professional year; the other spent a decade working up from administration and paraplanning.
Brisbane-based risk adviser Aisha Elnour and Sydney-based financial adviser Kristen Agius will each receive $2,000 to attend the Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA) Congress in Melbourne from November 24-26.
The program itself has changed shape. CALI has doubled ReCALIbrate this year, from five grants to ten opportunities for women across life insurance and financial risk advice. Since it began in 2023, the program has funded 15 women to attend the FAAA Congress, five each year. This year, only Elnour and Agius receive Congress grants. The remaining eight places go to a new 12-month ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program, delivered in partnership with Future Women, with recipients to be announced in November.
CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said strengthening the pipeline of professional risk advisers was vital to helping more Australians make informed decisions about protecting their financial future.
"The future of life insurance and financial risk advice will be shaped by the people we back today," Cupitt said. "By helping talented women like these to build their skills, networks, and visibility, we are investing in a stronger future for the advice profession."
Elnour said her experience of migrating to Australia shaped her commitment to financial security and risk advice.
"Life insurance is not simply a product or a policy; it can preserve a family's dignity, choices, and financial stability at the moment they need it most," she said. She said the program would help her broaden her technical knowledge and build relationships beyond her immediate professional network.
Agius has worked in risk advice for 10 years, moving from administration and paraplanning roles to become a financial adviser.
"Risk advisers can have a profound impact on people's lives at the worst possible time in their lives," she said. Agius said the program would help her develop her communication and leadership skills and build relationships with more women in the profession.
FAAA CEO Sarah Abood said: "Australia needs more skilled financial advisers who can make a huge positive difference in people's lives."
For risk practices struggling to find advisers, Agius's path offers a practical lesson. It took her a decade to move from support roles to the adviser's chair, and for many practices part of the pipeline is already on their own staff. Last year's ReCALIbrate round added mentoring and industry speaking opportunities. This year's program moves further in that direction, putting most of its places into year-long development rather than a single event.
