Closing the retirement confidence gap

Free webinar | Thursday 21 May | 12:00–1:00pm | Moderated by Karla Byrnes

How confident do you feel about retirement? Feeling unsure is more common than you might think. According to our recent Retirement Confidence Pulse, only 45% of Kiwis say they feel financially confident about retirement.

The good news? Improving your confidence doesn’t require dramatic change. That’s why we’re bringing you a free webinar with a panel of experts from across the industry, to discuss the small, practical steps that can potentially make a real difference to your retirement plans.

What we’ll cover

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What drives lower financial confidence in Aotearoa and how it may apply to your own situation.

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The common challenges and blind spots Kiwis face when planning for retirement.

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Practical ways to help improve your retirement lifestyle and feel more in control of your financial future.

Meet the panellists

Karla Byrnes | Moderator

Strategic Partnerships Lead at AMP New Zealand

With a background spanning marketing, operations, and client experience, Karla is passionate about improving financial wellbeing in Kiwi workplaces. She brings decades of experience across the medical operations, technology, and finance sectors, with a strong focus on helping people feel better supported as they plan for retirement.

David Martin

Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Summerset Retirement Villages

David has extensive experience leading sales, marketing and customer experience across New Zealand’s retirement, property and real estate sectors. Prior to joining Summerset, David was the General Manager Sales & Marketing at Metlifecare and has held senior roles at Todd Property Group and Harcourts International.

Dr Michelle Reyers

Policy Lead at Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission

Specialising in retirement income policy, Michelle has a background in financial services and academia. She holds a PhD in Finance focused on financial decision‑making and behavioural drivers, is a CFA Charterholder, and a Board Director of CFA Society New Zealand.

Kristin Sutherland

Co-founder of SMART Retirement

SMART Retirement is an award-winning retirement coaching programme focused on helping people create fulfilling, purpose-driven retirements – not just financially secure ones.

Kristin helps pre-retirees and retirees navigate the lifestyle, identity, wellbeing, and relationship changes that come with retirement. Drawing on her background in health, business, and property investing, she is passionate about helping people build a retirement that is truly “fulfilling — not just time filling.”