The Westpac-owned funds management business, BTNZ, is looking for a new head of operations following the departure of incumbent, Philippa Newlove, last week.
Newlove assumed the top ops job at BTNZ in January 2023 after an almost 12-year career at the bank-owned investment house back-office.
Prior to BTNZ she held senior risk and registry management roles at ANZ and Trustees Executors, respectively.
In a recruitment ad (applications closed last week), BTNZ said the head of operations role includes responsibility for the group’s “operational strategy and execution of strategic initiatives”.
“You will provide exceptional people leadership, mentoring operational staff and fostering an effective team dynamic,” the spiel says. “Your oversight will ensure operational deliverables are met to agreed service levels, while maintaining governance over key outsourced providers.”
It is understood BTNZ, which has more than $10 billion in its KiwiSaver scheme alone, has recently put its registry function out to tender.
Also last week, the Financial Services Council (FSC) anointed a new permanent chief executive, naming NZ business lobby group head, Kirk Hope, to the role, effective September 18.
Hope steps into a job occupied by Richard Klipin for almost eight years until May. Klipin has returned to Australia to lead the National Insurance Brokers Association.
Haydee Stroud, FSC head of member services, was appointed as acting chief last month.
The incoming FSC chief, Hope, has spent over eight years as head of BusinessNZ following similar lead lobbying roles for the NZ Bankers Association and the Financial Services Federation (FSF).
Before taking on the FSF executive director job in 2021 he served more than five years at Westpac NZ in senior government and regulatory affairs positions.
In a statement FSC chair, Rob Flannagan, said that Hope’s “expertise and experience in regulatory affairs, policy and advocacy will provide strong stewardship as we continue to deliver value for our members and advance our strategic priorities to grow the financial confidence and wellbeing of New Zealanders”.
Flannagan, who recently extended his tenure as chair, said the arrival of Hope comes “at a critical time of growth and change for our sector”.