Financial Advice NZ recognises profession’s outstanding members

“This adviser leaves no stone unturned in finding a solution for her clients, understanding how important her role is to her clients and passionately pursues suitable solutions that are always fit for purpose,” the judges said.

The awards were presented at a black-tie gala dinner at the Christchurch Convention Centre, attended by more than 300 delegates.

Stephen O’Connor of Mitre Wealth Management received the Service to the Profession Award, which recognises an individual who has made outstanding contributions and gone above and beyond to champion the profession.

O’Connor, who spent more than 30 years in the financial advice field, was appointed chairman of the international Financial Planning Standards Board, the first New Zealander to have held the position.

Financial Advice New Zealand also gave out Rising Stars awards in the fields of insurance, lending and financial planning. These awards recognise new and emerging talent in advice among financial advice members in their chosen area.

The Rising Star awardees were Scott Crocker of Abacus Group for insurance, William Tieu of Simply Finance for lending, and Jessica Jamieson of Impower for financial planning.

Matthew Wenborn was announced as the winner of the $5,000 Tate Scholarship, sponsored by Nigel Tate.

“There has been a lot of pressure on our financial advisers to perform in a difficult environment,” said Katrina Shanks, chief executive of Financial Advice New Zealand. “However, the financial advice sector is resilient, and this is what our awards recognise … The winning advisers have shone through despite the prevailing conditions. It is also not just the winners, but the quality of entrants for the awards that shows how strong the sector is.”