Because a great company is made up of great people

Richard started in the financial world early, buying his first property while still at high school. He was working part time and pulled together all his savings to buy a small investment property with his mother. Many years, properties, and lessons later Richard decided to start Become. He believes that opportunities are everywhere. That with the right mind-set and actions you can seize the greatest opportunities, and create a legacy. This is true for both our customers and the team at Become and together we aim to help people be more confident with their finances, to meet and exceed their financial goals, and uncover new opportunities along the way.

Away from work Richard loves going to the gym and spending time in Queenstown with his family. He has a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University with a Major in Finance and Minor in Valuation and Property Management. 

After finishing a five-year stint in the United Kingdom as a professional dancer, Nadia returned to Christchurch and settled in to an Insurance Broking Support role for one of the largest Insurance Broking Companies in New Zealand. Seeking more opportunity, and wanting to work more closely with her customers, Nadia joined Become to manage our property insurance business. She believes in exceptional customer service and is committed to finding the best outcome for her clients.

Away from work, she enjoys travelling, hiking and going to the gym.

While building her first home in Halswell, April discovered first hand the pressures and complications when it comes to getting finance and building. After experiencing the excitement of being a home owner she decided to leave the broadcasting industry and head into banking to help make it easier for others to get into their own home. Having cut her lending teeth with ANZ, April has the skills, knowledge and experience to help you get the most out of your next property purchase.

When she’s not helping people with their lending, you’ll find April baking treats that definitely don’t get the health tick, riding her motorbike, or on the ski fields. She has a Bachelor of Broadcasting and Communication from the NZ Broadcasting School.

Lisa came to New Zealand from England in 2009 to work with horses, however she fell in love with Canterbury and decided to settle here. She found her niche in the finance industry and came to Become to work with a team that truly cares about clients and about each other. Her expertise lies behind the scenes, where she supports the team by managing our operations and helping to drive the business forward.

Outside of work Lisa can be found in the gym or exploring the hills around Canterbury on foot or on horseback. She is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Applied Management.

Kate’s career initially started in banking and then moved to insurance, where she worked for a leading life and health insurer and the largest NZ-owned brokerage.  She transitioned into Recruitment and Human Resources, specialising in Recruitment across the insurance industry, and in 2016 joined Become to broaden her skills across the HR spectrum.  Kate is passionate about helping people maximise opportunities by building resilience, increasing focus and decisiveness.  She enjoys creating an environment where people look forward to coming to work each day.  Kate also assists the Director with the financial management of the business. 

Gaynor has an extensive banking and administrative background, with over 18 years’ experience both here and in the UK, where she hails from. She has recently achieved her National Certificate in Financial Services (Level 5) and her attention to detail and extraordinary organisational skills are well utilised in helping advisers to keep things ticking along at pace.

When not in the office, Gaynor enjoys walking her gorgeous pooch (Fudge) on the beach, catching up with her family and friends or trying out her new found passion - yoga.

James has extensive experience across wealth management as not only a Financial Adviser, but also as an Investment Analyst. As well as being an Authorised Financial Adviser (AFA), James has achieved level 1 of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification and aims to achieve the final two levels in the coming years, putting him in a unique position of being one of only a few advisers in New Zealand having both achieved AFA and CFA status.

When not working with his clients’ finances or studying, James and his wife have three children who happily take up most of their time. Together, they can be found camping and tramping around remote parts of the South Island.

Sarah has over 5 years’ experience in financial services and over 20 years in various customer facing roles, including hospitality. Having worked for the last few years for a large corporate bank, she has joined the team and is eager to be able to offer clients a wider range of solutions and a more personalised experience.

 
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys being active in the great Kiwi outdoors, along with live music, good food and good company.

Ruth has over 25 years’ experience in the insurance industry with knowledge of domestic, rural and commercial insurances. The Fire & General Insurance industry has seen major changes following the Canterbury earthquakes and Ruth feels it is important for clients to get the right insurance cover for their assets and to have an advocate in the event of a claim. Ruth relishes the challenge of arranging a comprehensive package of insurance suited to an individuals needs and she enjoys being there for her clients should they have any queries or a claim.

In her spare time, Ruth likes to spend time with her family and catching up with friends.