OpinionOpinion byJim McElwain NZ Herald·10 Jun, 2026 04:59 PM4 mins to readJim McElwain is Executive Director of the Institute of Finance Professionals NZ Inc (INFINZ)Rayana Agalava, the 2026 INFINZ First Foundation Scholar, with Amanda Gilchrest (left) and Kirk Sargent from First Foundation.For years, New Zealand’s financial ecosystem has wrestled with the same challenge: how to attract younger talent into the sector and, just as importantly, how to keep them there.
The issue is hardly unique to finance. Across professional services, businesses are competing with technology firms, overseas markets and changing expectations
