International planning firm to open Auckland office

UK-based deVere Group, which describes itself as, one of the world’s largest independent financial consultancies, will open an office on Auckland's North Shore with two AFAs and a general manager.

The move to New Zealand comes a year after deVere opened its second Australian office in Sydney. deVere New Zealand will be headed by John Brophy, Divisional Manager of the ASEAN and Australia regions.

Brophy says the group looked at buying an exisiting firm in New Zealand but decided to start from the ground up. He says they looked at a number of businesses, but decided buying one because most are owned and run by older people who may not stay with the firm for along time.

He says there will be two AFAs to begin with; Brett Wright and one other who will come from an existing business. At this stage he expects a current de Vere staffer in the Middle East to relocate to New Zealand to take up the general manager role.