PEOPLE

Fidelity Life appoints new CEO

Melissa Cantell has been appointed chief executive at Fidelity Life, replacing Nadine Tereora who left in May 2020

Cantell has strong executive leadership experience running commercial operations across a range of industries. She joins Fidelity from IAG NZ where she held the role of chief operating officer, and prior to that was the executive general manager transformation.

She has accumulated a broad range of experiences over her career, from mergers and acquisitions strategy and business transformations to senior general management roles with Fonterra and Coca-Cola Amatil. "She loves building great customer, adviser and people experiences, especially in times of change, and is passionate about the role insurance plays in the New Zealand community," Fidelity chief distribution officer and joint acting CEO Adrian Riminton said in an email to advisers.

Wealthpoint creates new head of investments role

Wealthpoint has appointed Keri Jenkins to the newly created role of head of investments.

In her role, Jenkins will lead an investment analytics and administration team and will develop and grow Wealthpoint’s investment proposition supporting member businesses and their investment clients.

Wealthpoint members currently advise clients with investment holdings of more than $3.5 billion across a range of products and platforms.

Her focus is to ensure these clients have access to high performing contemporary products and services that are competitively priced.

She will also manage key relationships with fund managers and Wealthpoint’s external service providers including platform suppliers AMP Wealth and Consilium, newly appointed investment consultants Makao Investments, and investment research provider Morningstar.

Prior to joining Wealthpoint Jenkins was at Fonterra – she brings experience in capital markets, corporate finance, fund management, equity research, performance reporting and implementing strategic change. She held a range of roles with Fonterra, most recently as general manager strategic projects and earlier as general manager capital markets and investor relations.

Jenkins has also had a successful career as an investment manager with Coronation, one of the top-rated fund management firms in South Africa. Her role included broad capital markets work, funds management, equity markets research and analysis.

Wealthpoint chief executive Simon Manning says: “Keri is a high calibre investment professional and we’re delighted she has joined us. Her appointment is significant for Wealthpoint as it demonstrates our intention to develop a market leading investment offering for Wealthpoint’s advisers and their clients. It is an important milestone in the delivery of our strategy to enhance member benefits, provide more choice and to lower member costs.”

Wealthpoint is a co-operative owned by a network of 55 financial services advisory businesses and over 150 advisers operating across personal and general insurance, investments and mortgages.

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