Financial Advice New Zealand has announced the winners of its 2025 awards which the organisation says recognise “exceptional contributions, dedication, and service to the financial advisory profession in New Zealand.”
The winners, announced at a gala dinner during the National Adviser Conference in Christchurch last week, include:
- Naomi Ballantyne, from The Adviser Platform was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award
- Lifetime Group took the Community Impact Award for Dream Days
- Brenda Nom, of Brenda Nom Mortgages & Insurance, was presented with the Financial Capability Award
- Steven Benton, of Rede Advisers, was awarded Life Membership
Financial Advice NZ says Ballantyne’s award acknowledges “…her extraordinary career-long commitment and significant impact on the financial advice community,” noting she has dedicated over 40 years to the life insurance industry, founding two life insurance companies and is currently the chair of The Adviser Platform.
“Her commitment to making financial advice accessible to more New Zealanders is evident in her continued efforts towards driving the importance of advice and innovation…Her tireless advocacy for the importance of financial advice is sure to inspire the new generation of advisers, leaders and entrepreneurs to walk in the path she has carved.“
Lifetime Group’s Community Impact Award was for Dream Days, a charitable initiative dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences for children living with a serious health condition or disability.
“Lifetime mobilises local communities, bringing together businesses, volunteers, and supporters to curate a special and meaningful day-out which can be a much-needed distraction from the daily challenges faced by these children and their families,” Financial Advice NZ says.
It also notes that the Financial Capability Award is presented to an individual or organisation that has made significant efforts to promote financial capability and education and that Nom “…plays a crucial role in providing financial education to help others understand financial concepts and make informed decisions about their finances.”
She crafted an online course for first home buyers to help clients understand their current financial status and develop a new budget (using a budget tool) tailored to their circumstances.
Benton was awarded Life Membership “…recognising his enduring contributions and steadfast support of Financial Advice New Zealand.” He has worked in financial services in some form for his whole career, starting out providing financial advice in the 1990s.
FANZ says he has always been an advocate for professionalism and further education and has held the CFP and CLU designations for over 20 years, was a committed member of Financial Advice NZ and its predecessor bodies for almost 30 years. He has been Chair of the Certification Committee for the past three years.
Service Recognition Awards
In addition Service Recognition Awards were presented to:
Christine Hay (Financial Sense) who has been on the Financial Planning and Investment Member Advisory committee since 2020 and became chair in 2022.
Dean Logan (First Capital Financial) was the Risk Member Advisory Committee Chair from 2020 -2024. He was a founding member of the Canterbury Nelson Regional committee established at the beginning of the formation of Financial Advice NZ.
Toni Dodds (Lifetime Group) has committed many hours and expertise in helping shape the many Financial Advice NZ submissions to the regulators and government that have been required over the last 4-5 years.
John Bolton (Squirrel Mortgages) was the first practitioner director on the Financial Advice NZ board once the founding board was transitioned over and served on the board from 2017-2021. He has continued his involvement as a member of Lending Member Advisory Committee since 2022.
Greg Moyle (OnePlan for Retirement) has been a long-standing member of the associations that went before Financial Advice NZ contributing in committees, council and branches. He’s served on the Certification Committee for the last three years and has supported advisers on the CFP pathway.
Financial Advice NZ CEO Nick Hakes congratulated the winners and thanked them for their ongoing leadership, professionalism and efforts in shaping a robust future for financial advice.
“Financial advice relies on the hard work, dedication and determination of individuals who work to benefit us as a profession. The award recipients deserve our gratitude for going above and beyond to take advice in New Zealand to the next level,” he said.