In our latest member profile, Jane Wrightson shares her highlights and reflections from her term as Retirement Commissioner. Driven by strong sense of purpose-driven work, she advocates for collaborative, people‑centred reforms to raise financial capability and improve retirement outcomes for all.
Jane Wrightson - Member of the FSC Empower Women Working Group
1. What drives you and how has the shaped your career journey?
Creating order out of chaos has proven to be a strength! I hate messiness (my cupboard drawers are the exception), and I have loved helping create good, purpose-driven environments and projects that focus on great teamwork and deliver measurable results. I’ve also realised I’m very purpose-driven and am attracted to work that helps or enriches people in some way.
2 With your role as Retirement Commissioner having come to an end - what have been the highlights?
Getting to understand a whole new sector and meeting so many good people! Getting some traction on longer-term issues like the retirement villages regulatory review; seeing that something as potentially nebulous as the National Strategy for Financial Capability can actually drive collaboration and change; keeping Sorted fresh and relevant, including launching the nifty retirement navigator tool; helping pull together a coherent approach to financial education in schools to be an excellent, practical collaboration between industry and Government.
Delivering two triennial retirement income policy reviews and a KiwiSaver options paper has led to some small system changes - but there’s much more to do. Having six Ministers in six years was a challenge for them, and for us, in terms of bigger calls.
3. What challenges or opportunities are front of mind for you as you consider New Zealand's current retirement landscape?
Having a reasoned and evidence-based approach to solving the problems. There will obviously be change in the future, but just pulling a single system lever is the worst option, because it wouldn’t address the downstream effects, particularly on women. I wish I’d got more traction in cross-party talking.
The best discussions are behind the scenes, and I think it's incumbent on all of us to drive focus on the impact on all people, not just political positions. The 2025 retirement policy review tried to show how parties could collaborate to do this.
4. How can the financial services industry best support those challenges and opportunities?
The sector’s got much better at consistent advocacy that isn’t narrowly focused on just the commercial issues. Working together and collaborating needn’t be as hard as it’s made out: developing the financial education guidelines proves it can be done. And I wouldn’t stress too much about KiwiSaver compulsion – I’d be looking a lot harder at savings incentivisation, getting rid of total remuneration, and the settings for hardship withdrawals.
5. What advice would you share with women navigating their own growth in financial services and growing their financial wellbeing?
I think the women in the sector still have significant career challenges. It amazes me that the banks are mostly headed by women, but that other services are still quite traditional. Just in the six years I was Commissioner, though, I saw a clear upswing in confidence and interest in talking about women’s progression in the sector. Growing financial wellbeing is a lifelong journey, I’ve learned: using the skills and knowledge you gain in working in the sector gives a huge advantage compared to other women.
Just understanding you’re on the financial backfoot from early career means you can make some careful decisions throughout your life.
6. Looking back, what's a career decision or turning point you're particularly proud of, or learned from the most?
I’ve been lucky that all my jobs have been incredibly interesting: each was a significant learning opportunity. Obviously, completely shifting sectors when I was appointed as Commissioner was huge. I’m so grateful to those who helped me, and the lovely feedback I received when I stepped away was unexpected and just wonderful. Heading NZ On Air was also amazing. Bureaucrats aren’t remotely fashionable at present, but it was a huge privilege to run a large public media fund to ensure the range of NZ content available to different audiences is broader and richer than anything our small market could provide on its own.
7. What change would you most like to see in the financial services sector over the next five years?
That women’s voices become even louder, and, in turn, the special financial position of women is clearly understood. And that men understand this and help. And I want to see NZ Super and KiwiSaver always considered together when changes are mooted so that options for each consider the impact on the other.
This would be the citizen-focused way of looking at it and the thinking that would help grow trust.