More than 450 people from across the advice community watched the two-day Be Inspired, Be Energised online conference organised by Financial Advice NZ.
Among the line-up of guests and speakers on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 November included Dr Sven Hansen, Founder of the Resilience Institute, Sam Johnson of the Student Army, high performance therapist Chelsea Lane, sociologist Paul Spoonley and ANZ economist Sharon Zolner.
During the conference, of which RiskinfoNZ was a sponsor, delegates were brought up to speed on the economy, financial trends, and there were range of presentations covering soft skills for working in a Covid-19 world.
Award winners
A highlight of the conference was the Financial Service NZ 2021 Awards where Daniel Smithwood, Director and Independent Risk Management Consultant at IronOak, was named Outstanding Adviser of the Year.
Judges said Smithwood provides an outstanding financial advice service, believes insurance is first and foremost a relationship business, and he “…invests significant energy into forging trusting relationships with clients”.
“This is particularly important for a business that centres on recommendations and referrals,” said the judges. “Smithwood works hard to understand his clients and make sure clients are actively involved in creating their plans.
“His application states that it is ‘imperative to my mind that a client takes ownership of understanding not only the risks they face, but also how the proposed solution suits them, and what their options are around their solutions’.”
Richard Thomas of Share, won the Services to the Profession award. He started his career in the insurance industry in 1983 and was Chair of the Professional Advisers’ Association for seven years.
His nominator wrote that Thomas represents a “…shinning example of what a professional financial adviser strives be”.
“His reputation throughout the industry for his trustworthiness, honesty, commitment to diversity, and pragmatism is unparalleled,” said the judges.
Other winners were:
- The Tate Scholarship award of $5000: Radhika Beetham, Lifetime
- Rising Star award: Lauren Hunter, Mike Pero
- Outstanding Support Person award: Sharon Pask, ANZ
- Community Service awards: Katrina Studholme, Total Wealth, and Zebunisso Alimova, Mike Pero
This year’s judges were:
- Trevor Slater, Resolution Institute
- Dean Logan, Chair, RiskMac
- DR Jasmin Fang, Massey University Business School
- David Boyle, Mint Asset Management
- Liz Cannon, Westpac