AMP Director of Financial Planning Steve Helmich has been given a Financial Services Council (FSC) lifetime contribution award.

It recognises 41 years in financial planning at AMP and various roles in the industry, including chairman of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) from 2002-04.

He was made MD of AMP Financial Planning in 1996 and became director of advice in 2000.

Mr Helmich was one of the first Diploma of Financial Planning graduates in Australia in 1990. He will leave his role at AMP next month.

He is Chairman of the International Financial Planning Standards Board and Future2, the FPA’s charity foundation.

Mr Helmich received the award at last week’s FSC conference on the Gold Coast.

Also honoured was Suncorp Life CEO Geoff Summerhayes, who received an industry excellence award for his “outstanding contribution to an industry field of endeavour that supports the industry and its customers”.

Mr Summerhayes has been instrumental in life insurance industry reforms, culminating in the Trowbridge report.

He has been CEO since 2008, but will step down next month before leaving Suncorp in January. Mr Summerhayes will represent Suncorp on the FSC board until then.