Nine winners recognised across financial services
The Financial Services Council of New Zealand (FSC) announced the winners of the FSC Awards 2025 at its annual awards dinner, closing the FSC25 Conference, Transforming for Tomorrow.
FSC Awards judge and CEO Kirk Hope (pictured left) said the awards highlight the breadth of the sector and its impact across innovation, ESG, community, and workplace wellbeing.
“A thriving, robust and sustainable financial services sector is vital for Aotearoa New Zealand’s future,” Hope said. “It is essential we recognise and celebrate the people and organisations who drive the industry forward, helping to grow New Zealanders’ financial confidence and wellbeing.”
Chair’s Award honours Gail Costa
Gail Costa (pictured third from the left), former CEO of Chubb Life Insurance NZ, received the prestigious Chair’s Award for Service to the Industry, recognising her career-long contribution to advancing financial services in New Zealand.
“I’ve built my career on my genuine belief of the important role that life insurance plays in making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and so it’s a real honour to be recognised by my peers in an industry I care so deeply about,” Costa said.
Community, ESG, and innovation recognised
Good Shepherd New Zealand won the Contribution to Community Award for its Family Violence Economic Harm Service, which helped victims of economic abuse recover from hardship and supported $1.1 million in unjust debt being wiped in 2024.
Two new categories were introduced this year: Excellence in ESG and Innovation of the Year.
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ANZ received the ESG Award for embedding modern slavery prevention into governance, training and operations, setting new standards for ethical practice
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Simfuni was awarded Innovation of the Year for transforming outdated insurance systems with a modern, cloud-based platform
Wellbeing, inclusion, and leadership awards
Partners Life won the Excellence in Wellbeing & Inclusion Award for embedding diversity, equity and care into its culture, with initiatives such as advanced parental leave and gender equity accreditation.
Anita Los’e also received the Emerging Trailblazer Award for her leadership in growing group insurance and championing inclusion for Māori and Pasifika communities.
Alan Langford and John Crossman were both recognised with the Workplace Savings Award for their long-standing leadership in superannuation, stewardship of major schemes and advocacy for member interests.
Team of the Year
Southern Cross Health Insurance’s Adviser Learning Transformation Team was named Team of the Year for designing a scalable, compliant and user-friendly onboarding programme that improved adviser capability, streamlined processes and enhanced customer outcomes.
Industry-wide celebration
“Congratulations to all winners and finalists this year,” Hope said. “The awards highlight the strength and resilience of the financial sector and are a wonderful opportunity to bring the industry together to celebrate.”
The awards were presented by Kirk Hope alongside Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Scott Simpson (pictured second from the left), FSC Chair Rob Flannagan (pictured right), and sponsors at a function held at Cordis, Auckland, supported by PwC New Zealand.
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