AFA head steps down after six months

Helen Morgan-Banda has resigned as head of the Association of Financial Advisers, citing ongoing uncertainty about travel freedoms.

Morgan-Banda - who was appointed chief executive just six months ago - plans to return to New Zealand.

"I would like to thank the AFA for the opportunity to contribute during a time of great change for the sector, advisers, and the Association," she said.

"However, the ongoing uncertainty surrounding access to New Zealand and between states in Australia because of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the Omicron variant, has meant that I wish to go to Melbourne to be close to family before returning to my home country and family there when the border allows."

AFA president, Sam Perera, said the board respected her decision to return to her homeland during an unprecedented period of global uncertainty.

Phil Anderson - the AFA's general manager policy and professionalism - will run the organisation. Anderson acted as chief executive for nearly six months during 2021 while the AFF searched for a new head.

Before taking on the top job last July, Morgan-Banda had headed up two major professional membership bodies.

Most recently, she was chief executive of the 15,000 member-strong Law Society of New Zealand. Before that, she was chief executive of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.

Because of her background, Morgan-Banda was viewed as a strong strategic fit with the highly experienced financial services professionals in the AFA's senior leadership team, AFA Board, and AFA Communities of Practice.