The Association of Financial Advisers (AFA) has awarded life membership to former president and treasurer Dennis Bateman.

It comes after Mr Bateman won the Michael Murphy Award last year for long service to the association.

Former CEO Richard Klipin was also handed his life membership award at the AFA’s conference at the Gold Coast last week.

Meanwhile, Jenny Brown from JBS Financial Strategists in Melbourne was named adviser of the year, sponsored by Zurich.

Catherine Robson of Affinity Private won the TAL-sponsored female excellence in advice award, while financial adviser Hugh Crawford won this year’s Michael Murphy Award.

Mr Crawford has supported the AFA for more than 42 years. He is a past treasurer and has sat on several committees, most recently serving as chairman and NSW/ACT representative on the investment fund trustee board.

He was instrumental in the association buying its own head office in Sydney. The boardroom there has been named after him.

Anne Graham from McPhail HLG Financial Planning in Victoria won the excellence in education award, sponsored by Asteron Life.

And Ravi Agarwal of Mediq Financial Services won the rising star award, sponsored by ANZ Global Wealth. He is part of the Synchron dealer group.