We will see more challenges and uncertainty, but our strategy is to meet these head-on by remaining agile and leading with transparency, resilience and above all, empathy.
One thing we’ve always been committed to is educating our investors on the different types of markets and how to weather the storms. That part of our strategy is even more important now, when things are more challenging, so we are continuing to provide information via our blogs, podcasts, emails, social media communities like our Share Club Facebook group and in our app.
Q: What opportunities do you see in 2023?
Kiwisaver has so much room for innovation – currently it’s structured fairly traditionally, and as we have seen from our waitlist of over 8,000 interested investors, Kiwis are ready for a new and more engaged way of managing their future nest egg.
New ways of managing savings is also a huge opportunity for 2023. Interest rates have increased, and given the current economic uncertainty, Kiwis are looking for new ways to manage their money. There is the desire in the market to launch a new way of savings here in Aotearoa, which we’re excited to pursue.
Q: What was the most interesting story of 2022?
It absolutely had to be the Black Ferns winning the Women’s Rugby World Cup. I’m still revelling in that glory and the buzz of it happening here on our home turf. I think, and hope, this will inspire a big step change in supporting women’s sport.
Q: What are your predictions for 2023?
There is a lot of chatter about a looming recession. If this does happen in Aotearoa, we expect it will be felt on a shallower scale than several other countries, due to our low unemployment rate. But the recession may remain as a slow burn for some time.
Next year we anticipate that nearly half of all existing mortgages will be rolling onto higher interest rates which will continue to put a lot of pressure on Kiwis and our economy.
On a more positive note, we are super excited for New Zealand to be co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year.
Off the back of the success of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, I think many more Kiwis will be set to back our female athletes in this sporting code too!
Q: What’s the worst mistake you’ve made in business?
I prefer to look at mistakes as learning opportunities. Early on in my career I learnt the valuable lesson of really understanding people’s motivations - what drives them, and how aligned they are to purpose.
I’m so happy I learnt that lesson young, as at Sharesies we’ve been able to hire people that truly want to join our mission, to create financial empowerment for everyone.
Q: What would you rate as your greatest success in business?
My greatest success in business has to be launching Sharesies. The skills I have learnt, and the experience of creating something from nothing with our other five co-founders has been so rewarding.
We’re not slowing down, either. We are excited to continue to push for innovative ways to give access to, and engage more people, in creating long-term wealth development opportunities.
Q: Where and how are you holidaying this summer?
I’ll be around home! My family and I are taking a short break this summer and looking forward to just relaxing, and simmering low – hopefully in some sunshine with our whānau.
- Sharesies is an online retail investment platform. It gives users access to New Zealand, Australian, and US shares, as well as managed funds and exchange-traded funds.
