Financial services people recognised in Queens Birthday awards

Queen's Birthday Honours Awards have, today, been handed out to three people from the financial services industry. Plus we acknowledge someone many old hands in the advisory world will remember.

Monday, June 6th 2016, 5:00AM 1 Comment

Gavin Walker, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Walker has been Chairman of Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation Fund since 2012, having been a member of the Guardians Board since 2010.

The nearly $30 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund was the world’s best performing sovereign wealth fund over the past five years. In the past three years under Walker’s chairmanship the fund returned an average of 15% annuually. The New Zealand Super Fund was recognised for its excellence in governance by Deloitte Top 200 in 2015.

Walker has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry both at executive and board level. He was the founding chief executive and a director of Bankers Trust New Zealand until 1996, after which he led the Bankers Trust Investment Bank in Sydney.
He is currently Chairman of the ASB Bank, Sovereign Assurance and the ultra-fast broadband steering committee.

Franceska Banga, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
Banga is an internationally recognised venture capital investment specialist, and is recognised as a pioneer in state sector venture capital investment in New Zealand.

She is the outgoing chief executive of the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, and through this role has overseen partnerships with 10 venture capital funds, 15 angel investment networks, and has been involved with direct and indirect investments into more than 200 high growth companies.

She has contributed her business expertise in other forums such as the New Zealand Capital Markets Development Taskforce, and chaired the New Zealand Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Board.

Dr Pushpa Wood, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
Dr Wood is a director of Westpac Massey Financial Education and Research Centre and Chair of the New Zealand Chapter of the World Council of Religion and Peace, has played a key role in improving the financial literacy of New Zealanders and interfaith relations.

Dr Wood is recognised as an international expert in financial literacy and has contributed to discussion documents on financial literacy for the OECD. While with the Commission for Financial Capability she developed a quality assurance system for financial literacy providers and developed a Financial Literacy Competency Framework for adults, which is now widely used by the education and industry sectors including NZQA.

She has developed financial literacy training models for indigenous communities and was a member of the Steering Group for Improving Māori and Pacific Financial Literacy. She led the design and implementation of New Zealand’s first financial literacy course for people with learning disabilities.

In 2015 she developed the National Strategic Plan for Financial Literacy and a five year Action Plan for Timor Leste.

And...this one is for services to health administration, but is someone many of the older hands in the advisory business will know.

Dianne Kidd was a founding Trustee of the Helensville District Health Trust (HDHT) established in 1989.

She is known in financial services for her role setting up a funds research business which was later bought by FPG/Morningstar.

Kidd has been chairman of the Trust since 2009 and was Deputy Chairman for several years prior. She was actively involved in the Trust’s establishment of one of New Zealand’s first Birthing Centres. She contributed her financial experience and expertise to help raise the necessary funds to build purpose-built premises for the Kaipara Medical Centre.

Tags: NZ Super Fund