Issue Eleven
June 2017
A Very Special Announcement...
The Partners Life team is incredibly proud that our founder, managing director, leader, mentor and friend,
Naomi Ballantyne has been awarded an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2017 New Year’s Honours list.
There are so many things each of us would like to say about Naomi to explain why we work for her and how privileged we feel to be doing
so but we think her official citation below sums it up beautifully. We have also included the answer Naomi gave when asked to explain what
receiving the honour means to her. As employees, business partners and customers of Partners Life, we can all collectively take comfort that we
are in very safe hands with Naomi.
NEW YEAR HONOURS 2017 - CITATIONS FOR
OFFICERS OF THE NEW ZEALAND ORDER OF MERIT
To be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit:
BALLANTYNE, Ms Naomi Eunice
For services to the insurance industry
Ms Naomi Ballantyne has had a 34 year career in the New Zealand life insurance industry and has been responsible for the establishment of the three largest
and most successful Life Insurance Companies in New Zealand, namely Sovereign, OnePath Life and Partners Life.
Ms Ballantyne has been the main driver of the industry’s product innovation over the past 34 years and during that time has created careers for hundreds
of New Zealanders, business opportunities for thousands of Small Medium Enterprises, hundreds of millions of dollars in shareholder value, and financially
supported many thousands of New Zealand clients when health issues interrupted their lives. Ms Ballantyne has also been a motivational speaker, sharing her
experiences to encourage others from all walks of life.
What an Honour...
After all these years in business I have learned so many things and I
certainly hope to continue learning new things for the rest of my life.
But since 31 December 2016, I have had to very quickly learn something else. I
have had to learn how to be open to, and enjoy the praises of others.
Being awarded the ONZM in the New Year’s honours list for 2017 was in
itself such a humbling and emotional experience – receiving such a public
recognition for the 35 years of determination, resilience and bravery required
to build the three largest Life Insurance businesses in New Zealand, has simply
taken my breath away in ways I cannot find the words to express.
But to me, the even more mind-blowing thing has been the huge outpouring
of congratulations and kind wishes I have been receiving steadily ever since
31 December when the public announcement was made. It seems like every
person I have ever had the pleasure of working with over my entire career
has been in touch with me over the past few weeks. People wanting to let
me know how pleased they are that I have received this recognition and how
important their interactions with me, no matter how fleeting, have been to
their lives.
The people who know me the best know how difficult I find it to be feted in
any way – I am much more comfortable lifting others up to the lime-light than
I am being in it myself.
But I have to tell you, this time, instead of feeling embarrassed about the
exposure, the overwhelming feeling I am experiencing right now is of being
loved – and it is magnificent!
I have always tried to live a significant life – for me that means having had a
positive impact on the lives of the people I encounter along my life’s journey.
And this honour, and the response from the people I have encountered in my
life to date, has given me a great sense of satisfaction that I am achieving my
goal.
We all touch a large number of people along the way and we often do not
know the impact we have had on those people, I am very fortunate that for
this moment in time, I do and I am humbled by it.
ipads!
See details inside
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