Pioneering Bradford student to get top insurance honour

A Bradford University School of Management student who is on course to complete the country’s first sector specific financial planning degree will be honoured tonight with a special award from the Bradford Insurance Institute after coming top of the class in her exams.

24-year-old Jelena Savonina, from Bradford, is being presented with the Colin Dallas Memorial Award for achieving the best result in her Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Examinations among the members of the Bradford Insurance Institute.

She is one of eight students who became the first in the country to sign up for the new four-year BSc Financial Planning degree. Bradford University School of Management launched the degree in 2010 to allow students to study a wide range of business and management-related subjects, plus specialist financial planning units which would offer employers well-rounded and technically knowledgeable candidates.

Jelena is now in her final year at the school of management and took the CII examinations independent of her university studies so she would be fully qualified as a financial advisor when she graduates in May. She is on course to secure a first in her degree and is also holding down two part-time jobs to fund her studies.

Jelena will receive the award at the institute’s annual dinner being held at the Midland Hotel, Forster Square, Bradford tonight (February 28).

She said: “It was a privilege to win a place on the country’s first financial planning degree at Bradford and I’m really happy to have now won this award. I’ve just tried my best and this has really lifted my confidence.

“My time at Bradford University School of Management has been amazing. It has been a really interesting degree and the school has helped me to see the bigger picture and strive to fulfil my ambitions.”

Ebor Asset Management in Bradford was one of the firms who supported the creation of the new degree and Jelena currently works part time for the business after spending her placement year with them.

Elaine Dean, business coordinator at the school, said: “This degree was developed in partnership with IFAs to create a pipeline of ‘job ready’ graduate talent with the relevant skills and knowledge required by the financial advisory industry. Jelena has been an exceptional student and a great ambassador for this new qualification.

“Jelena has demonstrated a fantastic work ethic and commitment to achieve these qualifications, while studying and working part-time. We are extremely proud of her achievement and she is a credit to Bradford University School of Management.”