Elaine Bonello, a chartered financial planner and a director of Financial Planning Services Ltd of Ta’ Xbiex, recently returned from Atlanta, Georgia, US, where she attended the 84th Annual Meeting of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), the premier association of financial professionals.

For the membership year 2010/2011, she was entrusted with the role of captain, specifically responsible for selecting speakers for the four-day annual meeting’s sessions under the ‘Whole Person’ chapter.

The ‘Whole Person’ concept is an integral part of MDRT’s philosophy and encourages its members to achieve balance in both their personal and professional lives.

Founded in 1927, MDRT is one of the longest established international financial services associations. Ms Bonello is an Honour Roll member of MDRT, having qualified for membership for 15 consecutive years.

Speakers she selected included financial services professionals from both the UK and US, and a life coach named by Excellence Magazine as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders in personal performance.

A non-industry speaker was Karla Ashton, who explained the incredible emotional trauma and financial fears she faced on becoming a young widow with three young children to raise. Ms Ashton emphasised the positive impact a well thought out financial plan had on her financial security when disaster struck.

MDRT has a membership in excess of 31,000 members from 78 countries.

Of this number, only eight are selected each year for the role of captain, to head the different categories of speakers.

Ms Bonello said, “I was highly conscious of both the honour and the responsibility I carried in executing these duties.”

Ms Bonello explained that during and after the speaker selection process, she had the opportunity to meet a number of people from various walks of life – top industry officials, life coaches, and ordinary people who had dealt with extraordinary challenges to provide inspirational stories.

“I was especially happy to be given this role as I felt it reflects our company’s holistic philosophy about the way we deal with our clients. We believe our role is not simply that of recommending a particular policy or investment, but integrating a financial plan into the bigger picture of every client’s financial concerns and particular circumstances,” she said.

MDRT president Julian Good congratulated Ms Bonello on her dedication, commitment and talent throughout the year and on her contribution to the success of the 2011 Annual Meeting, which was attended by 5,800 delegates from around the world.

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