The Financial Services Council (FSC) just-announced quartet of inaugural awards would set a “benchmark for excellence” across all industry sectors the organisation represented, according to CEO, Richard Klipin.
While FSC membership remained heavily-skewed to the insurer side of the ledger, Klipin said the awards were also expected to attract entries from investment practitioners and support services professionals.
“We have members who are large manufacturing firms with thousands of employees as well as associate members from the legal, accounting and other services businesses,” he said.
The FSC boasts 16 full members – including all four major banks (either directly or via subsidiaries), 11 other life or reinsurance companies, and FNZ – as well as 14 associate members.
Klipin said the awards would highlight achievement by individuals in FSC member firms across four categories dubbed ‘Rising Stars, Innovation, Shaping the Future and Diversity’.
Nominations with supporting evidence are due in by July 31 with winners to be announced at the joint FSC/Workplace Savings NZ (WSNZ) annual conference gala dinner on September 7.
Klipin said the awards would include a yet-to-be-determined prize in addition to the kudos attached with winning.
“The awards are a natural extension of the FSC strategy to showcase the good things the NZ financial services industry does,” he said. “We hope they will create a virtuous circle, inspiring everyone to do better.”
Klipin said the FSC was in the process of selecting a panel of award judges that would feature three or four industry leaders.
The FSC awards will be presented along with the long-established WSNZ gongs, which focus on KiwiSaver and superannuation fund communication.
Meanwhile, Klipin said the joint FSC/WSNZ ‘Navigating change’ conference (possibly a precursor to a full merger) was shaping up well with sponsors, headlined by AMP and Guardian Trust, and speakers almost finalised.
To date, pioneering NZ music and publishing entrepreneur, Murray Thom, Eat My Lunch founder, Lisa May, and recently-appointed Commerce Minister, Jacqui Dean, have been confirmed as keynote speakers.
Early bird entries for the September 7-8 Navigating Change event at Auckland’s Hilton Hotel close this Friday (June 30).