Senior FMA lawyer moves in-house

An asset manager has recruited a specialist in regulatory and commercial law from the Financial Markets Authority (FMA).

Nikko Asset Management New Zealand has appointed Simon Haines as general counsel and corporate secretary. He brings to the firm considerable experience, having held leadership roles at the FMA, including manager of disclosure and senior legal counsel for regulatory policy.

He was also previously principal at Lowndes Associates, assistant general counsel at Telecom New Zealand, and senior solicitor at Russell McVeagh.

“As we continue to expand our retail offering and build on our reputation for excellence in asset management, Simon’s wealth of experience, both as an in-house lawyer and in regulatory matters is a welcome addition to our leadership team,” said George Carter, Nikko AM NZ managing director.

“This is a particularly exciting time to be joining Nikko AM NZ. The company is rolling out a leading-edge robo-advice platform and is breaking out into the KiwiSaver space. On top of this, the legal and regulatory landscape is changing at a frantic pace, with a particular focus on ensuring that the customer remains front and centre at all times,” Haines said.

Haines will start at the company in mid-March.