FEATURES | ADVISER PROFILE
From Africa for love For SBS’ Michelle Forster improving financial literacy is a key focus. And marrying a Kiwi means that NZ is benefiting from this goal.
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rom Africa to the Channel Islands, Michelle Forster’s career has spanned the globe. But it was a Kiwi bloke who lured her to New Zealand, and the years of international business experience have been invaluable in her career down under. “They always bring you back,” Forster laughs when speaking of her husband. “I was so lucky to come to this side of the world.” Forster’s globe-trotting journey was not the result of a strict, unchanging plan, 28 | ASSET 01 | 2021
BY DANIEL SMITH
but was guided by a core focus on values. Those values have been an insatiable drive for education, combined with the desire and focus on building strong interpersonal relationships. This, and a hefty dose of business acumen, have taken her to her current role as general manager and head of advice at Funds Administration New Zealand. Forster’s widely varied career had its beginnings in Africa. “I was born in Zimbabwe and I grew up in South Africa. My father was very
entrepreneurial and our family valued education. Once I left school my family encouraged me to get a good foundation on which I could do many career paths, for me that foundation was finance.” After graduating from the University of South Africa with a Bachelor of Accounting and Science, Forster began cutting her teeth in the world of investment banking. “I was very lucky to get a role at Investec when I was fresh out of university. My impression was that the
