About Kenn
I was in the insurance industry for 49 years, being in senior management positions for 18 years. Since January 2005 I have been running my own insurance and business consultancy practice and published my first book “Life is Leadership” in 2009.
I am a mentor in our local business community, with a desire to serve and support those who need it.
I am an Associate of the Insurance Institute of New Zealand (AIINZ), hold professional membership to the Institute of Directors, & am a Past President of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, having served on the board for 6 years.
I have had contracts with NZ Police & Housing Corporation NZ through Business Development Company. I also served on the local Boards of the Arthritis Foundation for 6 years plus the national board of Arthritis NZ for two years.
After just under five decades in the insurance industry, during the last 17 years as owner of Nelson based Paradise Brokers, I have no doubt about the key to our success: “It is all about people”.
Our relationships with clients is everything we do. My perfect business statement would be: ’He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata’; referring to an old Māori proverb which asks what the most important thing in the world is: ‘It is people, it is people, it is people’.
I began my career in our native Invercargill, a product of Waimatuku, & worked my way through all aspects of the business over 32 years, with stints also in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Lower Hutt & Nelson, before opening Paradise Brokers 17 years ago in January 2005.
Elysian Freedom has been created from the remnants of this career & the business model centres on:
A passion for people combined with business nous, which leads to…
Caring about what actually works for clients, which leads to…
Not just “selling” a product in order to secure a sale but rather…
Providing a solution which achieves what clients genuinely need &…
Just so happens to be the best deal possible!
The objective therefore of Elysian Freedom is to share this
intellectual capital with as many who would like the opportunity of
such assistance.
My Vision
To be a reliable and knowledgeable intermediary whom clients & colleagues respect.
To be a benchmark company others strive to be like.
To exceed client expectations by providing a desire to fulfil those requirements.
To maintain a customer centered communication strategy.
To achieve continued fiscal growth by focusing on business with a high return on
investment.
Statement Of Values
To maintain a moral & ethical approach to products.
To promote a team environment where co-operation, continuous improvement &
training go hand in hand.
To have a passion for the environment & the communities we operate in.
Strategic Objectives & Goals
The primary focus is to deliver excellent customer service. From this business growth &
satisfaction will flow. Broken down into simple steps the strategic objectives are:
Regular calls to clients “just to say we love you” at times when appropriate, as a preference to
augmented intelligence where one is treated as a commodity of people & product. The
purpose of this is to glean any information regarding any changes in the client circumstances,
which affect their business, & as a business gathering exercise.
Duty of disclosure requirements for new or changing material facts.
Regular calls & meetings.
Relationships are a key factor & therefore are worth the time to foster.
Regular letters to clients clearly outlining their requirements.
The purpose of this is two-fold. Clients understand what they have bought clearly fills their
needs, the legal & regulatory aspect of being a provider has been met.
Experience
2021 - Present
Managing Director
Elysian Freedom
Has been created as a result of 49 years in an industry culminating in a 17 year period within an environment close to paradise, hence the name Elysian. Inspirational, motivational and leadership guidance are the future objectives.
2005 - 2021
Paradise Brokers
Managing Director
1973 - 2004
Various Positions
A legacy of contemporary insurance advice.
NZ Insurance Company
Various insurance companies culminating in various senior leadership positions.