Ginger Group is the result of the combination of three established distribution organizations: financial services, investment and accountancy firm PIS (NZ) Ltd, the Minerva Group (which undertook a joint venture with PIS in mid-2009 to form Minerva PIS (NZ)), and Brokers Independent Group (BIG), an advisory group with a substantial training and business support arm for financial advisers. Ginger Group consists of more than 400 financial services practitioners in all branches of the industry.

The creation of Ginger Group brings significant scale to the services offered to members, including assistance with personnel, IT systems and processes, business development, training and succession planning. The group’s products and services are focused on financial planning, risk insurance, mortgage broking, accounting, retirement planning and tax advice.

Ginger Group CEO and executive director David Whyte says the group will help bring stability to a badly shaken industry, as advisers come to grips with regulatory changes. “New Zealand is a notoriously underinsured market when it comes to risk, and there is a clear need to rebuild trust in the wake of finance company collapses, widespread investor losses and highly publicized incidences of poor financial advice.

“Among what we’re offering to members which is unique in the industry is a full-time compliance officer, so all advisers affiliated with Ginger Group can be sure they are meeting all their legal obligations – whether they are authorized or registered financial advisers – and their clients can be confident they’re getting customized solutions that will work for them at the time needed.”

My Whyte says Ginger Group’s provision of a permanent compliance service would also ensure all members have regulatory expertise appropriate for the service they provide.

“The label of financial services has become something of a catch-all, and in our view it’s important to help consumers find the right adviser for their specific needs. It is crucial that industry groups, such as our own, show leadership as regulatory changes take effect, in order to protect and assist both consumers and advisers.

“In our view it is not the complexity of the product which should drive regulation but the complexity of the application of the product. For instance, a shop assistant recommending credit protection insurance for someone buying a washing machine need not be authorized, but should be obliged to disclose how much is being earned by the store for recommending the product. For disclosure to be effective, there must be consistency across the board in providing factual data to assist the consumer make an informed decision.

“Conversely, a financial adviser recommending shareholder protection, partnership insurance or other complex financial arrangements should be authorized, competent, and qualified to do so. Ginger Group will, among other services, actively support industry standards and the educational requirements for compliance, sales, and practice management development.

In addition to the in-house Compliance Service, Ginger Group is negotiating access to a specialist underwriting and claims service to assist with complex cases.

Also on board with Ginger Group is the major Australasian mortgage broking company Loan Market, which secures more than $100 million in home finance each month in New Zealand, and is in turn linked to Ray White, one of the largest real estate companies in New Zealand and Australia.

“Our relationships across the financial services industry are at the core of what we offer our members,” Mr Whyte says. “As a service support company we can give advisers the service that they would either have to pay exorbitant amounts for or not be able to access at all. And Ginger Group’s connections with practitioners as diverse as chartered accountants, mortgage brokers, and life insurance advisers mean we can foment valuable business relationships among members, for lead generation and business development and growth via other qualified professionals.”

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Alexander Communications was briefed to assist the Brokers’ Independent Group (Big)  to communicate some of their big goals around supporting New Zealanders – when it counts -at claim time.

Nicola Smee was originally interviewed by the Inspired People blog on the New Zealand Herald online business site. Here AC got to understand how the two founders of Solutions Financial Services had big ambitions to launch a nationwide brand that would support many other insurance broker brands in New Zealand- with training, inspiration and back-office support.

“One of the goals for BIG is to use our leverage as an industry body to promote more high-quality insurance advisory services,” said Kevin Smee. This and some of their other ambitions were outlined in an article in Good Returns.

Part of the differentiation in both of these brands is Kevin and Nicola’s focus on “people” and having a values-driven business. Yes, a relentless focus on “the fit” both with their own management team and with brokers they choose to take on is a vital part of their success, along with the quest for balance in all things. Despite being very focussed people, both directors try to keep balance with family where they can. In fact NZ Business interviewed them for there exceptional ability to take regular breaks away with family and focus on what counts- leaving them fresh to tackle business challenges during the year.

As part of their strategy for putting something back into the risk insurance industry, Big brought out Li Cunxin. Li has a really inspiring and relevant story.

He was born into bitter poverty in rural China, when a chance discovery by Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy put 11 year old Li on course to become one of the best ballet dancers China has ever produced. He later went on to defect to the U.S., tour the world as a guest performer with some of the world’s best ballet companies, win medals at international competitions, marry and move to Australia until at the age of 34, Li started to plan his life after dancing and a radical shift in career. He began studying accounting and financial courses by correspondence at the Australian Securities Institute with a view to becoming a stockbroker.

Nicola saw how apt his story was because they were about to launch the Broker Academy. An initiative that will see many more brokers upskilled and prepared to help grow the under-insured New Zealand Market.

A new insurance broker academy could not have come at a better time says one of Australia’s top stockbrokers, Li Cunxin (pronounced “Lee Schwin Sing”) at the official opening in Auckland’s North Harbour. The message was placed across the web on Infonews, Scoop and Voxy and was picked up by Mortgage Broker Christchurch and Business to Business as well.

“This academy has been founded at a time a lot of professionals particularly in the investment, mortgage broking, banking or accounting industries really need it. It provides a fresh set of options and could open new doors for those who may have found themselves surplus to requirements, or need greater security or better prospects in today’s uncertain market.”

He said there was a real need for industry to rally to support skilled but displaced or vulnerable people in their ranks who needed to upskill or retrain. Companies also needed to encourage the pursuit of higher standards in the current recession, he said.

Li Cunxin was interviewed on the morning of the Brokers’ Independent Group Networking Breakfast by ASB Business breakfast TV where he told his inspiring story. Li was also interviewed by the Inspired People NZ Herald blog and Livemygoals.com with a message for all people during a world-wide recession – that it’s never too late to start again- and retrain yourself.

Li was also interviewed for the Dominion Post – republished on the Stuff, Business Day websites where Big received a mention too.

This story is only just beginning. We look forward to being a part of the growth of small and medium business in the risk insurance market in New Zealand.

In a statement he said: “One of the goals for BIG is to use our leverage as an industry body to promote more high-quality insurance advisory services,” Kevin says

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“This academy has been founded at a time a lot of professionals particularly in the investment, mortgage broking, banking or accounting industries really need it. It provides a fresh set of options and could open new doors for those who may have found themselves surplus to requirements, or need greater security or better prospects in today’s uncertain market.”

He said there was a real need for industry to rally to support skilled but displaced or vulnerable people in their ranks who needed to upskill or retrain. Companies also needed to encourage the pursuit of higher standards in the current recession, he said.

Li Cunxin has been invited to speak to some of the most successful companies and influential business, presidential and national leaders of our times, and impressed a largely business audience at the Brokers’ Independent Group (BIG) networking breakfast at the Ellerslie Convention Centre this morning. Li Cunxin extracted himself from poverty, became a world acclaimed ballet dancer then retrained himself as a stockbroker so he has some experience in retraining to invest in himself.

His autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, immediately hit the top of the Australia bestsellers list and is now in its 45th printing, having been published and sold in over 20 countries. There is a feature film in the pipeline.

As the economy continues to contract, Brokers’ Independent Group (BIG) CEO Kevin Smee says they have brought Li Cunxin to New Zealand to open the new academy and address their networking breakfast as part of a long-term plan to inspire and educate the industry.

The Broker Academy offers three programmes: an intensive six-week full-time programme for those new to the industry, a part-time cross-selling programme for five weeks for those with an industry background and a part-time evening programme that runs for three months that caters for those who want to retrain at night so they can keep their day jobs.

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About Brokers’ Independent Group (BIG)

BIG is a newly founded industry group set up by independent brokers for independent brokers (and like-minded industries – like accountants and lawyers), with the aim of working together for the benefit of clients, mutual prosperity and the success of the insurance industry in New Zealand.

Its two key aims are to support independent brokers through the sharing of knowledge in training, case studies and industry updates and in terms of the general public, ensure the insured get paid at claims time.

BIG has a world-class recruitment and training programme of inspiration and information lined up for brokers and businesses including major events with International speakers, national road-shows, 2-day knowledge boosters and online video link seminars.

Li was born into bitter poverty in rural China, when a chance discovery by Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy put 11 year old Li on course to become one of the best ballet dancers China has ever produced. He later went on to defect to the U.S., tour the world as a guest performer with some of the world’s best ballet companies, win medals at international competitions, marry and move to Australia until at the age of 34, Li started to plan his life after dancing and a radical shift in career. He began studying accounting and financial courses by correspondence at the Australian Securities Institute with a view to becoming a stockbroker.

For the final two years he was with the Australian Ballet, he rose at 5am to start ballet training, then raced to get to the stock exchange by 8am to work as a stockbroker until noon. By the time he joined the rest of the Australian Ballet dancers for rehearsals, he had already put in a full day’s work and has gone on to become a senior manager at one of the biggest stockbroking firms in Australia.

Upon learning his remarkable story, you begin to understand why it strikes such a chord with presidents and world leaders and small to medium business owners alike: it’s a story of change, vision and transformation, shattered and recreated dreams and passion, determination, love, hard work – and triumph despite all.

It’s one of those stories that warms the human heart and inspires us to stay true to our faith in the future in the belief that no matter what life may throw our way, we ourselves always have a say in our outcomes.

As soon as Li’s autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer, was published it immediately hit the top of the Australia best sellers list. It was number 1 in the non-fiction category and won the Book of the Year Award in Australia, the Christopher Award in America and was short-listed for the National Biography Award among other prestigious literary awards.

Mao’s Last Dancer stayed on the Top 10 Bestseller List for over one and a half years and is now in its 45th printing, having been published and sold in over 20 countries with a feature film in the pipeline. He is now a highly sought-after speaker and will be in New Zealand briefly to address a largely business audience.

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A film of the book is on its way…
Director Bruce Beresford of Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant, Black Robe and The Contract fame has teamed up with Academy Award winning producer, Jane Scott and screenplay writer Jan Sardi (of Shine) to produce a feature film based on Li’s extraordinary life.
About Brokers’ Independents Group (BIG)
BIG is a newly founded industry group set up by independent brokers for independent brokers (and likeminded industries –like accountants and lawyers), with the aim of working together for the benefit of clients, mutual prosperity and the success of the insurance industry in New Zealand.

Its two key aims are to support independent brokers through the sharing of knowledge in training, case studies and industry updates and in terms of the general public, ensure the insured get paid at claims time.

BIG has a world-class recruitment and training programme of inspiration and information lined up for brokers and businesses including major events with International speakers, national road-shows, 2-day knowledge boosters and online video link seminars.

For further information:
Alexander Communications
Dwayne Alexander
+64 (0)9 522 5541
021 324 463
dwayne@alexanderonlinepr.co.nz
Brokers’ Independents Group (BIG)
Nicola Smee
+64 (0)9 443 8201
021 220 9773
nicola@biggroup.co.nz