MetLife Australia’s Aoife Donnelly has been crowned a Banking and Finance Oath (BFO) Young Ambassador.

The program encourages students and graduates to adopt a strong ethical foundation as they begin financial services careers.

Ms Donnelly, Senior Internal Auditor at MetLilfe and the only BFO Young Ambassador from a life insurance company, was recognised along with ten other ambassadors at an event at The Ethics Centre last week which was attended by Philip Lowe, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Ms Donnelly says she saw first-hand how communities can suffer through the ethical failings of the financial services system during the Global Financial Crisis in her native Ireland.

“I hope to encourage others to restore trust and confidence in the industry. I also want to learn from other BFO Young Ambassadors by engaging in difficult and thought-provoking conversations to inspire continued change in a post-Hayne environment,” she said.

BFO head Cris Parker said MetLife had “taken the lead within the insurance sector” by raising awareness of the Oath and supporting Ms Donnelly.

MetLife runs an annual campaign to engage staff with the guiding principles of the BFO, achieving a 40% uptake of the Oath last year, and says it advocates for improved ethical standards.