Dreams of returning home come true

James Phillips has lived and worked overseas for some years. That included a stint in Canada, where he met his partner Carey Gendron, but he always planned to return to the Far North at some point.

Now, at 36, he has done so and is managing Kaitaia's ASB.

"I always dreamed of coming home," he said.

"I wanted to raise my family here. I want to give them the childhood I had."

James, who attended Kaitaia Primary and Intermediate schools, followed by Auckland Boys' Grammar and Waikato University, where he acquired a double degree in BScTech, still has family in the Far North, which was another reason for the move back, as well as the beaches.

"The beach is my passion. Whenever I have free time you can find me in the ocean, surfing, diving or fishing," he said, showing photographs of his latest fishing haul, which he shared around with his highly impressed bank colleagues.

James is the son of now Far North expatriates Graham and Peggy Phillips, well known in Kaitaia for their sporting prowess (he was a Maori All Black and top tennis player, she played squash). Both were long-standing members of the Kaitaia Tennis and Squash Club, while Peggy worked in the banking field for many years, so James has always been "around the banking scene".

He was enjoying his work as a bank manager, he added, a role that he believed brought value to the community, given his education and experience.

"I like people," he said. "I enjoy empowering my colleagues, and interacting with the customers and the community.

"If I can help somebody to purchase a vehicle to get to their first job, or assist a young couple to purchase their first home, these are life-changing events, and I feel privileged to be a part of them."

He was aware that he had a "big legacy to live up to" following in the footsteps of predecessors Phil Cross (now retired and operating a tourism business) and Richard Dickinson, who has moved on to the regional role of investment specialist for the Far North, but his colleagues and customers alike had welcomed him warmly.

"They have all welcomed me home. I felt a part of the team straight away. It's already been really rewarding, and I know I have made the right decision," he said.