Heartlander The
NEWS FROM HEARTLAND BANK
APRIL 2018
AUCKLAND WRITERS FESTIVAL
OPEN BOOK 15–20 MAY 2018, AOTEA CENTRE WRITERSFESTIVAL.CO.NZ
SIX DAYS OF GOOD TIMES AND GREAT IDEAS WITH THE WORLD’S BEST WRITERS AND THINKERS
Hello
1
Heartland Bank posts strong half-year result Maori students grow through internship
In my first six months with Heartland Bank, what has shone through in my interactions with our customers is their sense of pride and loyalty towards us
M
any have told me that they feel good about investing in a New Zealand bank that prides itself on helping Kiwis achieve their goals. From Open for Business and Open for Livestock to our reverse mortgage loans, we are making a positive difference to people’s lives and earning their trust. Not only do they trust us, our customers recommend us to their friends; for me, that is the ultimate endorsement that we’re doing something right. It’s clear our staff feel the same sense of connection towards the people they help every day, and the communities they are a part of. As such, we are pleased to be able to offer excellent rates through our market-leading call accounts and to also give back to those communities through various sponsorships. One community especially close to our hearts is Ashburton, where Heartland Bank was founded and which in many senses is its ‘spiritual home’. After more than a year in a temporary location, we are thrilled to announce that the Heartland Bank Ashburton branch will be returning to its original site on East Street in May. Having undergone significant upgrades and earthquake strengthening, the iconic heritage-listed building is ready to open its doors once more and begin a new chapter in Heartland’s history. No doubt its 143 years at the heart of local life would make fascinating reading. For those of you inspired by stories and the written word, Heartland Bank is very pleased to announce that it is the platinum sponsor of the Auckland Writers Festival for the second year running. This year’s event promises to be just as inspiring and thought-provoking as ever, and we are giving one customer the chance to enjoy the festival for free! See page 3 for details on how to win and indulge your literary leanings. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this edition of The Heartlander. As always, your feedback is welcomed and I thank you for your support.
Mel Cadman Head of Retail
2
Kiwi volunteers helping to rebuild war-torn Colombia Open for Business gives newlyweds a clean start
3
Enjoy this year’s Auckland Writer’s Festival courtesy of Heartland Bank
4
Meet the team at Heartland Hamilton
6 Recipe: Creamy chicken in lightening thyme!
Heartland’s 2018 Half Year Financial Results Heartland’s asset growth and digital channels drive growth in profitability
H
eartland recently announced its results for the first half of the 2018 financial year (FY18). We achieved a net profit after tax of $31.1m, which is a seven percent increase from the first half of the 2017 financial year (FY17). This increase in profitability has been driven by asset growth (13 percent annualised), particularly in our personal, reverse mortgage, motor and business divisions. We experienced higher asset impairments, and operational expenses in the first half year
due to the implementation of a new core banking system; however, this is not expected to be as significant in the second half and we expect to achieve the upper end of our profit forecast of $65m to $68m for the full FY18. Heartland’s results announcement focused on our key growth areas, including our business division and particularly our small-medium enterprise (SME) digital platform Open for Business. This has provided significant growth in our SME lending, with nine percent annualised
asset growth and 14 percent growth in net operating income for the business division. Our reach into Australia is also expanding, with 22 percent annualised asset growth in our reverse mortgage lending in this market, meaning that Heartland now accounts for 16.8 percent market share of Australia’s reverse mortgage market. Our personal lending offering in Australia also saw growth in this period through the Harmoney platform, which is now operating in Australia as well as New Zealand. ■
Seniors Finance on Facebook We are excited to announce that Heartland Seniors Finance is now on Facebook
W
e have big plans for @SeniorsFinanceNZ. We want to build a community through which we can share articles and insights of interest to seniors, and we want to demystify reverse mortgages. Heartland’s strategy is to make greater use of digital channels to help us
reach more customers. Our foray into Facebook via the new Heartland Seniors Finance page is just one way that we’re doing that. So if you want to get social, like us @SeniorsFinanceNZ and join the conversation. ■
Real-life learning on the job Heartland Bank helps Maori students test the waters of working life – and their study choices – in a corporate environment
H
eartland Bank head office recently opened its doors to nine students from the InZone Education Foundation, which aims to improve educational outcomes for Māori students. Organised through a partnership between the Foundation and Heartland Trust, the programme is based on the Māori concept of ako, which describes a relationship of reciprocal learning between teacher and student. To reflect the traditional whanau support network that plays an important role in Māori education, each student was assigned a ‘buddy’ to mentor them during the placement. Adrianne Mendes-Underwood, who is studying maths and chemistry, had no idea how she would be able to contribute. However, it didn’t take long for her ‘buddy’, Heartland Bank data scientist Sho Pogoni, to demonstrate how applicable her skills were.
“It was obvious that Adrianne was a problemsolver and naturally computational, so I got her involved in business intelligence, creating reports using analytic functions,” says Sho. “She really enjoyed it and was very capable. It was also a great learning experience for me in terms of management, as I needed to provide clear direction, feedback and manage her workflow.” Communications student Payton Taplin says that a number of interns shared Adrianne’s apprehension over how their studies would translate in the workplace. “It was such a great opportunity to see how what we’re studying can be applied in a corporate environment,” says Payton. “We come from such a diverse range of studies and I think everyone was surprised and relieved to see how their study streams could be integrated into the working world – in more ways than they imagined.”
For Payton, the link seemed more obvious than for some of Heartlan d the others and Payton T intern aplin he settled well in his role with Heartland’s communications and marketing team. What surprised him is how much he learned through the experience. “It was pretty cool to put some of the stuff I’d learned into practice, but my tasks quickly expanded beyond anything I’d been taught,” says Payton, who has stayed on as a part-time employee and enjoys working on Heartland’s internal newsletter. “I’ve been learning heaps – plus now I’m confident that my decision to study communications is a good one.” ■
A registered charitable trust, the InZone Education Foundation aims to improve educational outcomes for Māori and Pasifika students by establishing boarding hostels in specific school zones to give them access to high-performing state schools. 1
Not your average adventure When it comes to booking a break away from the daily grind, not many of us would choose to spend six days slogging away next to complete strangers in tropical heat in a remote Colombian village. Yet that’s exactly what Brett Hewson did – and the 64-year-old Relationship Manager, from Heartland Bank’s Auckland branch, says his experience as a volunteer building new homes for families in need is one he’ll always treasure.
S
itting at the northern tip of South America, Colombia is a country rich in culture and wildlife, yet deeply scarred by decades of civil war and violence. Over the course of four decades of conflict, more than five million people have been displaced from their homes; the need for new, affordable housing is extreme. With the country cautiously embracing a new era of reconciliation after a treaty was signed in 2016, organisations such as Habitat for Humanity (HFH) are working hard to rebuild fractured communities. Nearly 2,000m above sea level, in a coffee-growing region on the edge of the Andes, was where Brett joined the team of Kiwis who had volunteered to be part of HFH Colombia’s first house-building project outside the capital of Bogota. “Until that point, the organisation had confined its activities
Above: Jon Jaeiro and his family stand in the beginnings of their new home build thanks to the HFH volunteers. Inset: Brett’s treasured cup.
to relatively safe areas in and around Bogota itself,” says Brett. “Nonetheless, it had identified outlying areas where significant need existed, and two families were selected for our support. “A short, rough ride in a well-worn Willys Jeep saw us arrive in a village near the municipality of Filandia, where we met the families we’d be building new homes for. Our job was to tear down what remained of their shanty houses and start the rebuild, which would be completed by local builders.” Working long days at altitude, in high heat and plagued by frequent rain showers, Brett and his fellow volunteers worked tirelessly to complete their mission. With Auckland builder Don Henderson and a local counterpart leading the project, the crew leveled the site, dug footings, bent reinforcing steel to make concrete frames and footings, and even mixed concrete – all armed only with basic hand tools. However, what impressed Brett most was the camaraderie that developed so quickly among a group of different genders, ages, backgrounds and career experience. “The story about Kiwi mateship is very true and, in this case, amazing to witness. It is fair to say we were exhausted at the end of every day, but there was never a cross word exchanged. We were all committed to working as a team to get the job done. It was such a heartening experience to see the group come together.” Brett says that, overall, it was an amazing and humbling experience. “On the last day, we had a formal farewell. I was humbled to learn that our coffee-growing family had, despite their abject poverty, sold a sack of coffee beans – for which they receive very little – and purchased a demi-sec coffee cup for each of us. I will treasure this cup for the rest of my life.” ■
A clean start in Taranaki New franchise owners credit hard work and a head start from Heartland Bank for their business success.
T
en months after taking the plunge into business ownership, Vrinda and Sandeep Sharma couldn’t be happier with their decision to take over New Plymouthbased cleaning business CrestClean. They feel similarly about working with Heartland Bank, whose Open for Business loan made the venture possible. “We arrived here from India in 2014 and spent our first few years working in Tauranga and visiting parts of New Zealand, looking for a business and location that suited us,” says Vrinda. “We liked Tauranga but, having lived in big cities, we were looking to live in a smaller community.” Both of Himalayan heritage, Vrinda says the couple didn’t make it much past the Taranaki region in their quest – they quickly fell in love
2
with Mount Taranaki and a desire to move to the smaller town of New Plymouth wasn’t far behind. Vrinda says that that, from there, everything seemed to just fall into place. “We didn’t anticipate getting into the cleaning industry, but the CrestClean franchise opportunity seemed like a great option – it combined the support and guidance of an existing business model with the independence to manage it ourselves.” CrestClean also provided the couple with a highly recommended finance option – Heartland Bank’s Open for Business loan – and Vrinda says the process was more simple and pleasant than she could have imagined. “It was so quick and easy. We were in constant email communication with our contact person,
Sean Cunneen, and he provided great customer service,” says Vrinda. “We would highly recommend Heartland Bank. It’s a great option for anyone wanting a hassle-free loan application or anyone who needs a head start for a new business.” ■ Lending criteria, T&Cs apply.
Words from around the world As Platinum sponsors of the Auckland Writers Festival 2018, Heartland Bank is giving one customer the chance to experience the popular and thought-provoking event for free!
L
ast year’s festival proved to be the largest in its history, attracting more than 72,000 guests and 200 novelists, poets, playwrights, songwriters, scientists, journalists, historians, children’s writers and illustrators, who both delighted and challenged audiences through a range of debates, lectures, performances and other activities. This year’s event runs from 15-20 May and Heartland has a prize package up for grabs, including festival tickets to a selection of events, return airfares and accommodation in Auckland. See below for entry details. Something for everybody This year’s festival once again features a variety of speakers from a wide range of backgrounds. Heartland is proud to support an initiative that caters to such a diverse audience and continues to evolve. Every year there is something new that gives people pause to reconsider the world around them, or to engage with a new genre of literature they might otherwise steer away from. Confirmed guests include distinguished British scholar A.C Grayling and noted American music critic Alex Ross. A fellow of The Royal Society of Literature, Grayling has written and edited 30 books on topics ranging from philosophy to the history of ideas. In 2011, he founded and became the first Master of the New College of the Humanities, an independent undergraduate college in London. Ross’ first book, The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century, won several awards and earned him a Pulitzer nomination. Heartland is also pleased to introduce Scottish journalist Alan Taylor (pictured above) to New Zealand audiences.
Taylor has written for numerous newspapers around the world and has held editorial positions at several major British dailies, including his current role as associate editor of The Sunday Herald. He was also the founding editor of The Scottish Review of Books and has been a judge for the Booker Prize. In addition to his journalistic work, he has published two anthologies and is perhaps most well known for his critically acclaimed biography of fellow Scottish author Dame Muriel Spark – Appointment in Arezzo. Alan will be joined at the festival by his wife Rosemary Goring (pictured on right), herself an acclaimed author who has published several works of historical fiction and the acclaimed Scotland, the Autobiography: 2,000 Years of Scottish History by Those who Saw it Happen. ■
Be in it to win it! To enter the prize draw, please go to www.heartland.co.nz/writers-festival Competition closes 30 April 2018. To see the full programme for this year’s Auckland Writers Festival, go to www.writersfestival.co.nz.
3
The right tools to reap rewards
The Heartland Bank Hamilton team (l-r): Guy Evelyn, Jo Gibson, Grant Kyd, Max Bartley-Gibb, Stuart Ewing, Arna Berryman (sitting left) and Camille Vakatini (sitting right)
In the heart of a fertile landscape on the banks of the mighty Waikato River, Hamilton is New Zealand’s third-fastest growing city. With an ever-expanding populace presenting a variety of needs when it comes to finance, the region offers both an opportunity and a challenge for local Heartland Bank sales manager Arna Berryman and her team.
A
fter several years working in the banking sector in Australia, Arna moved back to her hometown in October 2016 to take up a new role with Heartland Bank. “I wanted to be closer to family, as long as the right opportunity came up, and this fitted the bill,” says Arna. “Heartland Bank had a great reputation for providing niche products that truly change peoples’ lives, and that was a massive drawcard for me.” Since joining the Hamilton team, Arna says she’s found this to be very true, and she enjoys the part she gets to play in actuating change. “Reverse mortgages are a big part of what we do at and, when I first started, a lot of people told me they would be a hard sell because Waikato is quite conservative. However, I’ve found that most reservations can be overcome by developing understanding. “Over the past two years, we’ve put a lot of effort into educating both customers and referrers about the product to help change perceptions.” Superior service Arna says her team’s approach to customer service and all levels of enquiries makes a big difference when it comes to educating customers on products and their options. “We have a fairly new team, who offer
4
amazing service to our customers, and it plays a big role in why people choose to work with us,” says Arna. “We’re open to change but realise that not everyone prefers the same service approach. While we’re definitely embracing the digital transformation, we still offer person-toperson service where appropriate.” Arna, who manages the office’s retail banking side, says personalised service is very popular with her team’s two key products – investments and reverse mortgages. “It’s interesting how the two contradict and complement each other – on one hand, values are going up so those with disposable assets can sell and invest. On the other hand, living costs are also going up, meaning that those with high-value homes, who don’t want to leave, may have more equity but less disposable income.” Arna says her team enjoys resolving both situations through Heartland. “We love working with seniors and providing an option that allows them to live a full and enjoyable life, and we enjoy being able to provide good returns for customers who decide to invest in us, and in turn their fellow Kiwis.” Rural reach Smack in the heart of dairy country, Heartland Bank Hamilton wouldn’t be complete without a suite of rural products
to cater for local needs, and National Rural Manager Ian Cooper has just hired a new recruit to meet demand. “We’ve been looking for the right person for a few months now and I’m confident Justin Read, our new Relationship Manager, is the right person for the job,” says Ian, who is based in New Plymouth. “Even without someone at the helm there’s been a steady stream of enquiries, so it will be great to have someone that can engage with, and offer solutions for, local customers.” The Hamilton branch looks after rural loans in a diverse area – Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Northland – which lends itself to a number of different products, including livestock, sharemilker and farm transition loans. Bringing it back to community Arna says looking to resolve people’s lending needs is only part of the Hamilton branch’s goal – it’s also committed to contributing to the community. “We sponsor a number of local events that are important to our customers, including bowling clubs, golf clubs and the Special Children’s Christmas Party,” says Arna. “We believe that any business in a community is only ever as strong as the community itself.” ■
The Heartland Bank network
Takapuna 456 Lake Road, Takapuna, Auckland Newmarket 35 Teed St, Newmarket, Auckland Tauranga 24 Devonport Rd, Tauranga Hamilton 411 Victoria St, Hamilton
Wellington 93 Customhouse Quay, Wellington
Christchurch 75 Riccarton Rd, Riccarton, Christchurch Ashburton Temporary premises at 165 Tancred Street Back at 224 East Street in early May
Heartland Bank Hamilton
5
INGREDIENTS •
on or skinless)
Lightning chicken with thyme cream Prep time:
Cooking time:
Serves:
5 MINUTES
20 MINUTES
4-6
1kg chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless, skin-
•
Neutral oil for frying – eg, grapeseed
•
25g butter
•
2 cloves garlic, crushed
•
¹∕³ cup white wine
•
1½ cups cream
•
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
Why ‘lightning’ chicken? Because it’s as quick as lightning to prepare! The trick is to make sure you get a good golden colour on the thighs when you sear them, because it’s that colour that creates the flavour of the sauce 1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. 2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat. When very hot, add the chicken (skin side down if it has skin). You may need to do this in two batches – don’t crowd the pan, or the chicken might start stewing. 3. Leave the chicken to fry without turning until it has turned a deep golden brown colour on one side. Turn over and brown the other side. You can turn the chicken back over a couple of times to get it looking browner and crispier. The more crusty brown stuff that builds up in the bottom of the pan, the better. 4. When both sides of the chicken are lovely and brown, set aside on a plate or roasting tray.
5. Tip any excess oil from the pan and place over a medium heat. Add the butter and garlic and swish it around for 30 seconds. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and let it bubble rapidly for about 30-60 seconds to evaporate the alcohol – it should reduce by about half. 6. Stir in the cream and thyme, then add the chicken and any resting juices. Reduce the heat to medium-high and let everything simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced down to a nice consistency – not too thick; it’s quite a rich sauce. If it becomes too thick, simply add more cream and simmer again until you’re happy with it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 7. Serve with steamed greens and mash, new potatoes, pasta, bulghur wheat or rice.
Recipe extracted from Eat Eat is packed with dishes that are destined to become new favourites in your household, plus a bumper collection of sides, sauces and sweet treats. No complicated instructions or hard-to-find ingredients, just real food with real flavour made with love.
Contact us Visit your local Heartland Bank branch or call us today to chat about which account or deposit is right for you, and for a copy of our Disclosure Statement, Product Fact Sheets and Account and Service General Terms and Conditions. Freephone 0800 85 20 20
Website www.heartland.co.nz
Email invest@heartland.co.nz
Your Heartland Bank network Newmarket 35 Teed Street
Takapuna
Wellington 93 Customhouse Quay
Christchurch 75 Riccarton Road
456 Lake Road
Hamilton
411 Victoria Street
Tauranga 24 Devonport Road
Ashburton Temporary premises at 165 Tancred Street Back at 224 East Street in early May