Getting to Know: David Boyle

David and his mother after her 90th birthday party in Ashburton

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is David Boyle (Boylee to those who know me) and I am the GM of Education at the Commission for Financial Capability. Essentially, when I'm not thinking about how we can get more Kiwis connected to their KiwiSaver, I am responsible for the education of financial capability, from schools through to helping future generations of New Zealanders to be better prepared for their retirement years. I’m also known by many as the guru for great music…… well in my opinion anyway!

How did you get into the industry?

Certainly more luck than good management. I left school in April 1982, when I managed to get a job as a teller at the Post Office Savings bank in Ashburton. From there, I was first introduced to the financial planning industry when I joined UDC as a BDM, promoting their debentures and call account. I had no clue what financial planning was about in those days, but I was really lucky to have the late great Paul Murphy spend an afternoon every fortnight telling me about what he did and how our debentures were key to every investor’s portfolio. In 1997, I joined Armstrong Jones, which was led by the charismatic Paul Fyfe. I had been interested in working for them because I believed that out of all the other providers at the time, they were thought to be leaders - a good fund manager that added value, not just by their investment options and returns, but also by their genuine interest in helping advisers grow their business. It was there I cut my teeth and developed my skills for the industry (many of which I still use today), and some of the older advisers reading this (they know who they are) tested my capability and value to the industry.  While challenging, their effort and support over time helped me to progress my career, and ultimately build the largest KiwiSaver business at ING and then at ANZ Wealth. That's something I am still proud of to this day, especially when many people thought KiwiSaver was going to be a flop!