Richard Ede

Loving Life on the north side

If any residents of the North Shore need reinforcement about how special our part of the world is to live in, they only need to talk to North Harbour Club member Richard Ede of BNZ Partners. Richard moved over the bridge two and a half years ago and just loves life on the North side.
Richard is the Managing Partner (North Shore) for BNZ Partners, which is also one of the family of North Harbour Club sponsors. His move over the bridge, to the new position, coincided with the opening of the BNZ Partners Centre North Shore on Constellation Drive. This was the first Partners Centre launched in New Zealand, and has been the blueprint for refining the Partners Centre proposition, and getting customer feedback, as the concept has been rolled out throughout New Zealand.
If you haven't been to take a look at this facility, you should do. It is impressive. It is on the third floor of one of the Candida Office Park buildings on Constellation Drive. As well as being the home of Richard's team of 36 people, with expertise across business and corporate banking, property finance, private banking, asset finance, trade finance and commercial insurance, it is also a facility that hosts many business networking events and is happily shared with BNZ Partners’ customers. Described as ‘an office away from the office’ with boardroom and office facilities available for all BNZ Partners’ customers, each Centre will also have its own chairman to oversee the relationships of those involved. Long-time North Harbour Club member and trustee Gary Monk was appointed the Chairman of BNZ Partners North Shore during 2011 (see adjacent article).
"The BNZ Partners concept is a great one because our customers really feel part of it," explains Richard Ede. "We host many business events here ourselves and our customers often use one of the four meeting and function spaces for their own events. We have had North Harbour Club and North Harbour Business Association events here; it is also great for hosting workshops and networking functions."
BNZ Partners takes up the entire top floor of the building. Half of the floor is office space, while the other half is a big area, including three meeting rooms of varying sizes, which is totally dedicated to making BNZ Partners’ customers feel right at home. Regular functions held at the BNZ Partners North Shore Centre include Exporters Lunches (quarterly), the BNZ Business Customers Forum and the Icehouse Alumni (both bi-monthly).
Richard Ede and his wife Cheriette are both from Hawkes Bay. Richard's early years were spent on the lush soils of Twyford, on the Heretaunga Plains, west of Hastings. Wikipedia tells us that this is an agricultural area with orchards, vineyards and cropping as the main source of income. In fact Richard Ede grew up on an orchard. He attended Lindisfarne College and Hastings Boys High school before completing a degree in Banking and Finance at Massey University. Richard started in banking in Hastings.
Banking eventually brought the Ede's to Auckland and Richard joined BNZ in 2003. Richard, Cheriette and their three children Oliver (14), Stella (12) and Harry (4) moved to Murrays Bay from St Heliers in 2009. They love it.
"What is there not to like about it," said Richard, when asked the question. "The beaches are stunning. They are real beaches that are clean, picturesque and not too tidal. The people are friendly, there is a family atmosphere, and we love the fact that we have everything we need very close to where we live and work. Great schools, great sporting facilities, malls, little villages. At times it really does feel like we are on holiday for most of the year. At the same time, we are still so close to Auckland City. I often use the Busway to get to the city, it is very quick."
Richard is a member of the Millennium Gym and is looking forward to the opening of their exciting new facility in the very near future. He is also a keen runner, plays tennis and even plays a bit of guitar as well.
Richard Ede became a member of the North Harbour Club in 2009. BNZ Partners signed on as a "We're Building North Harbour" club sponsor in 2010.
"It is a great organisation to be involved with," says Richard. "We enjoy being part of something that's recognising excellence in our young people and we also enjoy the high quality events. The regular lunches are great, with some excellent speakers, and the AIMES Awards Dinner is always a highlight. It is amazing the standards that these young people are achieving."
For more information contact:-
Richard Ede, Managing Partner - North Shore, BNZ Partners. Email: Richard_Ede@bnz.co.nz or visit www.bnzpartners.co.nz.

BNZ hooks North Shore’s big fish 

A man well versed in frozen seafood is the chairman of BNZ Partners North Shore Business Centre.
North Harbour Club Trustee and Businessman Gary Monk, the 2010 Enterprise North Shore Hall of Fame Laureate and managing director of frozen seafood export company, Intersea Limited, was selected for the role earlier this year, which gets BNZ and its business customers working closer together.
The chairman is a new role within BNZ and is unique to the New Zealand banking industry. It is offered to industry leaders who are passionate about business in the region and can provide mentoring to BNZ Partners’ clients.  
Monk has successfully run a business for almost 30 years and is lending his knowledge and experience to others in this role as chairman.
“This role gives me an opportunity to assist the bank to connect with its customers, to help the business community, and focus on improving these companies and the North Shore economy,” says Monk.
BNZ Partners Managing Partner - North Shore, Richard Ede says Gary Monk was a logical choice, given his prominence in the North Shore business  community.
“Gary has a proven track record and has been hugely successful in his chosen field. On top of this, he is heavily involved in the North Shore community, supporting a number of not-for-profit groups.
“He has an understanding of the local business landscape which is invaluable, and brings a fresh perspective to BNZ that ensures we are adding value to our client’s businesses, as well as the services we provide,” says Ede.
“Business on the North Shore is a lot more cohesive than other areas I have been involved with," adds Gary Monk. "As our businesses talk a lot more with one another, we are able to work together and get better results.”

BNZ Partners Business Centres are located around the country, with 27 of the 31 planned centres completed and operational.
BNZ Partners delivers a more personalised and customised relationship. Your dedicated BNZ Partner works directly with you to really understand you and your business.
But crucially, he or she can connect you to an extended range of financial specialists, products and services including: Agribusiness; Private Banking; Property; Merchant services; Insurance; Investments; Cash flow finance; Franchising; Asset finance; International trade finance and Treasury solutions.
Contact Richard Ede, Managing Partner - North Shore,
BNZ Partners. Phone: 415 3942,
Email: Richard_Ede@bnz.co.nz
or visit www.bnzpartners.co.nz. 

10 Questions...

David Brook (ASB)

David Brook is the new Regional Manager, Commercial Banking, for North Harbour Club's valued Arts Award sponsor ASB. He replaced Murray Smith who had been in the role, and an active member of the North Harbour Club, for many years.
David is a North Shore person through and through. He has lived on the Shore for most of his life but interestingly this is the first time he has worked on the Shore – and he's loving it. He happened to take on the job just as his ASB North Harbour Commercial Banking team was relocating to virtually brand spanking new premises just beside FarroFresh on Constellation Drive – great timing!
We thought that Northside readers – and North Harbour Club members – should know a little bit more about David Brook, so we put these 10 probing questions to him in mid-November.
 
NS: How good is your new set-up? You timed your move just perfectly David, didn't you!
DB: The new premises are amazing and offer something very new for our team. The regional centre comprises both business banking and personal banking together with a range of product specialists, who work together to provide the best service possible for our customers. We've also opened a full-service branch with a seven day drive through capability which is a great point of difference for the local area.

NS: Tell us a bit about your background. You have filled similar roles on the "dark side" we understand?
DB: I have been in business banking for more than 20 years. For the past 10 years I held regional management roles for ASB looking after the south and east regions of Auckland, and more recently I spent five years in central Auckland. I have always lived on the Shore but never worked here so my new role is especially pleasing.

NS: And your family... three teenage boys must keep you on your toes?
DB: Yes, you could say that! Our boys are aged 13, 16 and 19 and they're full of the joys of life that all young men should have.

NS: You must love working on the sunny North Shore?
DB: My role extends to Northland and I have a number of commercial teams based at Whangarei. I am enjoying getting out and about regularly to Whangarei and beyond. Funnily enough, I am sure that the "sunny" North Shore is always a couple of degrees warmer than south of the bridge – so I will enjoy the summer no doubt.
NS: Are you missing Goldstein?
DB: Goldstein was an iconic advertising campaign that spanned a decade and we always had fabulous feedback from our customers. We will always remember Goldstein fondly, however it was time to move on...

NS: As well as replacing Murray (Smith) as Regional Manager, Commercial Banking, you have also replaced him as a North Harbour Club member. Aren't these young people that we reward and celebrate special?
DB:  I was fortunate enough to attend the recent AIMES Awards Gala Dinner and met a number of award recipients. ASB proudly sponsored the Arts Award again and it was a pleasure to announce the 2011 winner, Elliot Christensen-Yule. A number of former winners were also back to wow the audience. Our guests, my wife Jacqui and I were almost speechless at the professionalism and quality of the young New Zealanders from the North Shore.

NS: Missing driving over the Harbour Bridge to work each day?
DB: In a word... No!
 
NS: What are your favourite pastimes when you are not working?
DB: I enjoy a casual game of golf from time to time. We had a family bach at Mangawhai that we sold in 2010. We decided to buy a section at Mangawhai and build a new place. This project has just been completed so it is safe to say that we will be spending many weekends up there with family and friends who can help get the section sorted!

NS: What is your favourite spot on the North Shore?
DB: We live in Northcote Point which is also where I grew up. Out of pure nostalgia we love nothing more than a simple dinner out somewhere and a movie at the Bridgeway Theatre.

NS: Complete the following; When I want to spoil my wife Jacqui...
DB: ... I will treat her by doing the movie evening thing and also agreeing to the next overseas holiday – most recently Croatia. Perhaps we will go again in mid 2012 – but don't say anything to my wife please, she loves a surprise!


David Brook, Regional Manager, ASB North Harbour Commercial Banking, mail: David.Brook@asb.co.nz n

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