The appointment places Prof Alsemgeest among the leaders responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the country’s professional body for financial planners. As a member of the board, she will contribute to decisions that influence professional standards, ethics, education, and the continued development of the financial planning profession in South Africa.
“I hope to bring both an academic and practical lens to the Board’s work, bridging the gap between what is taught in the classroom and what the profession needs from its practitioners,” Prof Alsemgeest says. “I would like to contribute to strengthening professional education standards, promoting ethical practice, and ensuring the profession remains relevant and trusted as it navigates a rapidly changing financial landscape.”
Strengthening the connection between academia and the profession
For Prof Alsemgeest, the appointment represents both a personal milestone and an opportunity to contribute to a profession that has shaped her academic and professional career. “I am deeply humbled by this appointment. To be entrusted with this responsibility by my peers in the financial planning profession is an honour I don’t take lightly,” she says.
The FPI Board is responsible for the institute’s strategic governance, ensuring that it continues to uphold and advance professional standards, ethics, and the interests of its members and the public they serve. As National Elected Director, Prof Alsemgeest will represent FPI members across the country, contribute to board-level decision-making, and help guide the institute’s strategic direction.
Serving on the board, she says, provides an opportunity to give back to an industry that has shaped her career, while working alongside colleagues committed to raising the standard of financial planning in South Africa.
The appointment carries national significance, and its impact will also be felt within the University. “This appointment strengthens the bridge between the School of Financial Planning Law and the profession it serves,” she says. “It offers an opportunity to deepen our industry partnerships, ensure our curriculum stays aligned with real-world practice and emerging trends, and to enhance our academic reputation as a school that produces graduates who are truly industry-ready.”
Closer engagement with industry representatives will also create opportunities for collaborative research, professional development initiatives, and thought leadership that benefit both the University and the financial planning profession.
Prof Serges Kamga, Dean of the UFS Faculty of Law, says the appointment reflects the calibre of academic leadership within the faculty and the University. “This appointment is a fitting recognition of a proficient scholar whose intellectual rigour, research excellence, and unwavering commitment to academic leadership have enriched both the Faculty of Law and the University of the Free State,” he says.
He adds that the appointment creates an opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the faculty and the financial planning profession through innovative teaching, practice-oriented research, and meaningful industry engagement. It will also enrich students’ learning through greater exposure to professional expertise, mentorship, and networking opportunities while positioning the faculty as a contributor to ethical, inclusive, and future-oriented financial planning practice.
For Prof Alsemgeest, one of the most significant outcomes of her appointment is the value it brings to students. “Being closely involved with FPI at a national level means I can bring current, real-world insights straight into the classroom, help create more opportunities for mentorship and networking with industry professionals, and ensure our students graduate with a clear understanding of what the profession expects of them.”
As the University continues to develop graduates equipped to lead in their respective professions, appointments such as Prof Alsemgeest’s strengthen the connection between academic excellence and professional practice. Her appointment reinforces the standing of the School of Financial Planning Law within the profession and creates new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and student success. It also affirms the University’s role in shaping professionals who not only respond to the needs of the industry but also help shape its future.