With the Professional Paraplanner awards 2025 open for entries, over the next few weeks we are talking to different award winners about the awards process and what benefits they and/or their teams derived from being Award Winners.
Have you entered the awards or nominated your favourite providers yet? Look out for our Awards emails and get entering and voting.
Paraplanner of the Year (in-house) 2024, Luke Sparkes, says he has had what he can only describe as a “very positive year” since winning the award.
Not only has he been promoted to Head of Technical Paraplanning for the Online Partnership Group but he has become actively involved in the PFS Paraplanning Panel and completed his first Hyrox event (a multi-activity fitness competition).
“A lot has happened. At the time of the Awards last year I was working for Inpartnership Financial Advisers. But following the purchase by Online Partnership Group – owners of Inpartnership – of the Adviser Support Hub, we’ve been merging the two paraplanning teams, to form one unit within the overall network. I’ve now been promoted to Head of Technical Paraplanning, reporting to my director and I am directly responsible for nine paraplanners. This has been a fantastic career progression for me.”
At the 2024 awards ceremony, he was approached by Alan Gow, a member of the PFS Paraplanner Panel. “He congratulated me on winning and asked whether I’d thought about participating in the panel. I put him off, as you do, but by the time I got home that evening I’d decided to do it.
“Since then I’ve taken part in the PFS National Conference, as well as hosting webinars, and I’ve found it really rewarding to do.”
On a personal achievement note, in March, Luke took part in his first Hyrox competition. “Doing the Hyrox was one of my main goals for 2025. I’ve never been a particularly strong, physical person, and it was outside of my comfort zone. It took four months of training and it took a lot of focus, especially on the day. Overall, I can say it was an experience. My legs took about three day to recover!”
Entering the Awards
Talking about entering the awards, Luke says: “My attention was first drawn to the Awards in 2023 and I thought they were a prestigious achievement to aspire to.
“Looking at the names of the people who have won the awards over the years, and where they had taken their careers afterwards, it seemed clear that the awards had acted as a way to raise profile within the industry, a stepping stone forward, if you like.
“I’d finished my exams for the PFS Fellowship and I thought it was the right time for me to apply. And I’m so glad I entered.
“For anyone who is looking to raise their profile and progress in their careers it can be a very useful way to help fulfil your potential. For anyone sitting on the fence about it, I’d say go for it.
“You never know where it might lead or what door it might open. I’ve met lots of influential and like-minded people in the industry who’ve seen that I’ve won the award and got in touch with me. So I’d recommend entering.”
Main image: Luke accepts the Award from Ranila Ravi Burslem, Intermediary Distribution Director, Scottish Widows.
Our thanks to Scottish Widows who are our Headline Sponsor once again, for the 2025 Awards.
