New CEO Announced For Financial Advice New Zealand 

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Financial Advice New Zealand has revealed its new Chief Executive.

Katrina Shanks will lead the new association, commencing her role on 5 June 2018.

Financial Advice New Zealand Chair, Sue Brown, said most importantly, they searched for a CEO who could best deliver on the objectives of advocacy, promotion and standards.

Incoming Financial Advice New Zealand CEO, Katrina Shanks

“Katrina has a deep understanding of the legislative process and how to influence policy development, drawn from her experience as a two-term Member of Parliament,” said Brown.

“During that time, she chaired Select Committees and was a member of the Commerce Select Committee. And among many achievements during her four years as the CEO of the Funeral Directors Association, Katrina created unprecedented public awareness for the association and its members – constantly in the media talking with Kiwis about important issues and raising profile for members,” she said.

Shanks has spent much of her career in financial services, having been a chartered accountant and owning her own accountancy business for seven years.

Following that, she took up the position of Financial Controller for the National Party.

Financial Advice New Zealand Chair, Sue Brown

Brown said the CEOs of the founding bodies, Rod Severn and Fred Dodds, will continue working with Financial Advice New Zealand to facilitate and support the transition process.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their invaluable contribution not only to the new association, but to the financial advice profession as a whole,” Brown said.

Commenting on her appointment, Shanks said the CEO role for the new body is a privilege.

“As the industry knows, advisers make a real and positive difference in the lives of Kiwis: Good advice creates financial well-being, and financial well-being creates freedom. And ultimately, this is what New Zealanders strive for,” she said.

“There has never been a greater opportunity to realise the true potential of financial advice for all New Zealanders. For me, that means putting my parliamentary, association-leadership and financial services expertise to work in advocating for our members; building public confidence and trust; raising the profile of advice and of our members; and of course creating a strong, unified voice for advice in regulatory change,” Shanks said.