Whilst a lot of progress has been made to improve diversity across the finance ecosystem, much still needs to be done.
The INFINZ board has commissioned a report from consultants Cogo and SHIFT Compliance who heard from over 50 stakeholders on the barriers to greater representation and what initiatives that INFINZ and the wider industry could pursue to address these.
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In 2024, INFINZ released a landmark DEI report focused on two key areas: advancing women into senior leadership roles and increasing engagement with Māori in our industry. These priorities remain central to our mission — to empower a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand by improving the capability and effectiveness of the finance ecosystem and our members within it.
As a result, we roll out our support for return-to-work pathways following extended parental leave. We recognise the importance of keeping both women and men engaged with the industry during this time. To support this, INFINZ will offer free membership and complimentary access to networking events for those current and past members on extended parental leave — helping them stay connected and easing their reintegration into the professional ecosystem.
Over the past year, we partnered with the Financial Services Council to deliver a three-part event series focused on increasing the number of women in senior leadership roles. All three events were sold out and highly successful, providing valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring leaders and senior executives alike.
We are also proud to announce the launch of our Māori in Finance Mentoring Programme pilot next year. This initiative will pair mid-career Māori professionals (tuakana) with experienced mentors (rangatira), offering guidance through both cultural and career pathways. This programme is being developed in partnership with Tāwhia – Māori bankers rōpū and the Māori Accountants group, and reflects our commitment to meaningful engagement and long-term impact.
To support Māori engagement, we continue with our Māori Leadership in Finance Award sponsored by Foundation North – as part of the 2026 INFINZ Awards. Nominations and Submissions are due 11 February, with more information available here.
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On the 2nd July 2024 we held a webinar that briefed our members on the following:
Speakers included:
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If you wish to provide feedback....For all questions or more information, please direct to Bernice Archer, Partnerships Director, on bernice@infinz.com or Jim McElwain, Executive Director, on Jim@infinz.com |
