2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
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2011
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2011
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2012
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2015
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2016
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2019
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2021
Spearheading ‘massive’ growth in Elantis business
Elantis Premium Funding’s New Zealand branch has been growing at a phenomenal rate over the last year, and driving that growth is New Zealand manager and director Tash Heslop-McIntosh, a long-standing insurance professional with experience in almost every area of the industry.
Heslop-McIntosh has worked in the financial services industry for 17 years and joined Elantis at the start of 2020. She has also worked in general insurance and broking and says her time as a broker provided a particularly well-rounded view of the sector and created many opportunities for her to experience different areas of insurance.
“Like most people, I fell into the insurance industry,” Heslop-McIntosh tells Insurance Business.
“I was previously working in financial services as a business implementation manager, and a friend who was a manager at a brokerage asked if I would like to give insurance broking a go. I worked there for a while, and I found that I really enjoyed it.
“This meant that before I came to Elantis I already knew a lot of people in the industry from my time as a broker and account manager,” she says.
“That really gave me a broad range of different experiences as I moved through my career journey, and if you are in the industry, it’s really good to be able to have a knowledge of every side of it.”
After her time as a broker, Heslop-McIntosh worked at an insurer in an account manager role before moving into premium funding. She was then headhunted into her current role at Elantis, where she was tasked with growing the New Zealand business.
“I was brought in to grow the company. Elantis has been in the New Zealand market for 25 years, but when I joined we still had quite a small market share,” Heslop-McIntosh says.
“In 2020, we had five people in the team. As we started growing and changes were happening in the market, I knew we had to recruit and bring on board people with exceptional people skills and industry knowledge. We hired two new BDMs – Hilaire Reid based in the South Island and Toni Labone in the Bay of Plenty – so we now have a locally based team with lots of industry experience, which is a massive advantage for us. We have also just recently hired our New Zealand operations manager, which has rounded off our team.
“Having a locally based customer experience team is definitely an advantage. The team liaises with brokers daily, and they also attend broker visits and functions to ensure we continue to be visible in the market with all our team members.”
Heslop-McIntosh says the pandemic-related challenges of the past two years have undoubtedly made the organisation stronger, and its successful recruitment drive has proven there is significant demand for premium funding.
The growing team reflects an increased need for premium funding in the New Zealand market, as more business owners are recognising it as an effective way of splitting up a large upfront cost.
The flexibility Elantis can offer has also been a significant drawcard for clients – particularly as managing costs and maintaining cash flow has been a front-of-mind issue for most business owners throughout the pandemic, Heslop-McIntosh says. And now, with the tightening of the CCCFA lending rules, we are already seeing a surge in premium funding levels, because business owners are needing to protect their cash flow even more.
“We’re in a massive growth phase at the moment," Heslop-McIntosh says. "We’re investing more in technology, we have invested in people, and we are hoping to continue to grow the team too. We’ve seen the importance of having a bespoke product in the market for our brokers and clients.
“Given the economic climate at the moment and the changes in the industry, it’s definitely becoming a more important tool to help clients manage their costs. Offering premium funding to clients ensures they can get the right level of cover and, most importantly, that they can afford it when they need it,” she adds.
“We also pride ourselves on being very flexible – whatever the situation, we will do our best to make it work for the client. That’s definitely one of our strongest points.”
After almost two years at Elantis, Heslop-McIntosh says she is also looking forward to continuing her own journey in the insurance sector. She believes every area of the industry has something to offer when it comes to knowledge, growth and career development – and ultimately, the best aspect of it is the people.
“There’s an old saying that 'you’ll never end up leaving the insurance industry', and I would say that it’s quite true!" she says.
"I think the most important thing for me is the people, and there are so many great people and different opportunities within the industry, whether it be broking, underwriting or premium funding. So if you enter the industry, you’re pretty much in it for life!”
Spotlight
“That’s three people that we’ve recruited in less than 12 months, which highlights our strong growth," she says.
The sales team now consists of Kristine Colley, Hilaire Reid and Toni Labone, and the three sit across Auckland, Northland, the Central North Island and the South Island.
“We have the most experienced premium funding team in the New Zealand market, and all three BDMs have been in the industry for many years. They have a significant amount of knowledge and very strong relationships throughout New Zealand, which is key to our growth.”
The company's Auckland-based customer experience team has also grown and now comprises New Zealand operations manager Cushla Haxon, customer service consultant Lupe Nofoaiga, credit consultant Jessica Suwantika, and Allison De Zoysa, who provides admin and business support.
Elantis Premium Funding has been offering premium funding for over 30 years (25 years in New Zealand). It has a local New Zealand team of eight located across the North and South Islands, and its people are passionate about providing tailored premium funding solutions and delivering exceptional customer service.
Elantis partners with insurance brokers to deliver cost-effective and flexible insurance premium funding solutions to clients. Insurance premium funding enables clients to adequately protect their business by allowing them to spread the cost of annual insurance premiums across smaller, regular instalments. In essence, the product is a short-term loan where Elantis pays the upfront lump-sum insurance premium on the client’s behalf, and they repay the loan in smaller, more manageable instalments. This frees up cash flow for clients to use in other areas of their business.
Company Profile
1983
YEAR FOUNDED
100
MANPOWER
43%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
60%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Media
Accolades
Company Profile
Tash
Heslop-McIntosh
New Zealand manager and director at Elantis Premium Funding
Meet the leader at the helm of Elantis Premium Funding, a fast-growing organisation that has rapidly expanded its team across New Zealand over the last 12 months
“[Broking] really gave me a broad range of different opportunities as I moved through my career journey, and if you are in the industry, it’s really good to be able to have a knowledge of every side of it”
Tash Heslop-McIntosh, Elantis Premium Funding
“We’re in a massive growth phase at the moment. We’re investing in more technology, and we’re hoping to continue expanding the team too. The growth that we’re seeing in New Zealand is fantastic”
Tash Heslop-McIntosh, Elantis Premium Funding
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2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
Media
Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2019
2021
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2019
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2021
Spotlight
Company Profile
1983
YEAR FOUNDED
100
MANPOWER
43%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
60%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Years of Experience in financial services
17+
Tenure in current position
Feb 2020 - present
BAsed In
Auckland, New Zealand
Fast Facts
Gaining international experience and learning about different people and cultures
Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Read on
Share
Share
2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
Accolades
Media
Milestones
2011
2012
2015
2016
2019
2021
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2015
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2016
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2019
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2021
While she’s proud of the strides Fundserv made in 2020, Adams acknowledges that it was a challenging time as a leader. Not only did she have to ensure Fundserv kept running efficiently as her team transitioned to working from home, but she was also filled with concern for her team members.
“I just worried about our employees, their mental health and if they would be OK,” Adams says. “I like to see people, so I set up one-on-ones just to connect with them.
Moving forward, Adams says Fundserv’s goals remain aligned with those of its members, and her team will continue listening and understanding what members need so the organization can evolve accordingly. She adds that she wants Fundserv to be so good at providing a secure and reliable service that members forget it’s there – and she wants the company to continue to inspire change in the industry.
“It is sad that it took a pandemic to recog-nize the cheque issue and solve it,” Adams says. “What we will do in the future is root out those things in the industry and not wait for a pandemic to ignite change. There is no reason we can’t change. Change, like auto-mation, will accelerate from now, and we’ll do our part to keep it going.”
Spotlight
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
Company Profile
1983
YEAR FOUNDED
100
MANPOWER
43%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
60%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Years of Experience in financial services
17+
Tenure in current position
Feb 2020 - present
BAsed In
Auckland, New Zealand
Fast Facts
Gaining international experience and learning about different people and cultures
Career highlight
Read on
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About us
Contact us
RSS
Asia
NZ
AU
CA
US
UK
contact us
specialty
Best Insurance
Resources
RISK MANAGEMENT
Features
TV
News
Copyright © 2022 Key Media
People
Terms & conditions
Privacy policy
Conditions of use
About us
Contact us
RSS
Asia
NZ
AU
CA
US
UK
Elantis was recognised in 2018 as one of
Great Place to Work Australia's Best Places to Work
(Under 300 Employees)
Read on
Based in
Auckland, New Zealand
Tenure IN current position
Feb 2020 - present
Years of Experience in financial services
17+
IN Partnership with