Specialist consulting firm, Mosaic Financial Services Infrastructure, has secured an Australasian first after gaining certified partner status from privacy software firm, OneTrust, under a revamped accreditation system.
Caroline Carver, Mosaic privacy and AI governance director, said the accolade reflected the company’s success in implementing the OneTrust software among dozens of clients in Australia and NZ as opposed to simply product re-selling.
OneTrust recently changed its partner accreditation process with the ‘certified’ stamp representing a high level of knowledge and skills among partner firms.
Several staff members have been “certified or re-certified as OneTrust Trust Fellows under the new training and certification program”, Mosaic says, with each required to pass 33 courses and exams.
Carver said Mosaic had implemented the software-as-a-service system in about 15 clients across Australasia in the last 12 to 18 months alone.
She said demand for privacy solutions was growing exponentially driven partly by regulation but also as businesses look to automate cumbersome tasks.
“There are huge efficiency gains,” Carver said. “And companies also like the centralised management [of privacy data etc].”
Mosaic has privacy clients in both Australia and NZ in several sectors including finance and retail.
The OneTrust platform offers privacy automation, consent and preferences and third-party risk management among other functions.
Elsewhere, the NZ financial services industry could see an influx of new entrants under the recently updated ‘Fees Free’ study regime.
In a release, Strategi Institute said eligible students could now complete the New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) – the core financial adviser qualification – for no charge via the revised government Fees Free program, which covers the cost of the final year of tertiary study.
Shorter courses such as the Level 5 financial services certificate, which can take less than a year, are essentially free – although students will have to stump up fees initially but with a full refund provided on passing the qualification.
David Greenslade, Strategi Group executive director, said in a statement: “This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to start a career in financial services, as well as for employers who want to build a skilled team of advisers.
“The updated Fees Free scheme provides an accessible pathway into the industry while helping Financial Advice Providers reduce training costs for new talent.”
Eligible applicants must be NZ citizens or permanent residents as well as first-time Fees Free users. The previous tuition fee relief applied to the first year of study.
The new rules apply from the 2025 year with refunds, of up to $12,000, due to flow the following year.