Financial Services Complaints Limited (FSCL) has appointed consumer law academic Kate Tokeley (pictured) to its board as a consumer director.
Tokeley previously served as an associate professor of law at Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington, specialising in consumer law teaching and research. She is co-editor and co-author of Consumer Law in New Zealand (LexisNexis) and has written widely in New Zealand and overseas on consumer protection and policy issues. FSCL chair Jane Meares said Tokeley’s background aligns with the scheme’s focus on resolving disputes between consumers and financial service providers, including insurers and intermediaries. “Kate has a wealth of knowledge of consumer law, an obvious passion for consumer rights, and governance experience – including her roles as deputy chair of Consumer NZ and on the board of the Telecommunications Dispute Resolution scheme, which has strong parallels with FSCL. She is well-positioned to support our mission of providing free, fair, independent dispute resolution for consumers and their financial service providers,” Meares said.
Meares said public understanding of dispute resolution remains a key issue for the scheme. “Kate is keenly aware of the ongoing challenges of raising public awareness of consumer dispute resolution services. She brings a great mix of astute judgement and teamwork, making her a valuable addition to our board,” she said. Tokeley said her focus will be on supporting FSCL’s role in the broader consumer redress framework. “I look forward to working with the other board directors to ensure the scheme is accessible and trusted by consumers,” she said. The FSCL board consists of two consumer directors, two industry directors, and an independent chair, designed to balance consumer and provider perspectives within an independent governance structure.
Meares also recognised the departure of long-serving board member Mary Holm, who has completed nine years with FSCL. “Mary has been a valued member of our board and will be greatly missed. She was unwavering in her commitment to championing consumer rights and enhancing the financial literacy of the NZ public. Above all, Mary cares deeply about people and communities, and her insights – drawn from her work as a financial journalist and commentator – have been invaluable to our work,” Meares said. For insurers and other scheme participants, the change marks continuity of a consumer-focused lens at board level, alongside industry representation and an independent chair.
Tokeley’s appointment follows the release of FSCL’s latest independent five-yearly review in 2025, which examined whether the scheme continues to meet its statutory obligations as an approved dispute resolution provider. The review, conducted by independent reviewer Nanette Moreau Hammond, concluded that FSCL is meeting legislative requirements around fairness, independence, accessibility, effectiveness, accountability, and efficiency in its dispute resolution work for New Zealand consumers and financial firms.
Meares said the findings reflect stakeholder views on FSCL’s operations. “The review confirms that FSCL is delivering a professional, fair, and well-managed dispute resolution service. We’re proud of our team’s professionalism, integrity, and commitment to providing accessible justice in a dynamic and changing financial services environment. Timely, responsive, accessible, trusted, credible, easy to communicate with, and well-reasoned were some of the common themes from the stakeholders interviewed by Ms Moreau Hammond,” Meares said.
The review also identified areas for further development, several of which have direct implications for insurers and other FSCL participants. Moreau Hammond recommended additional community outreach to better reach vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers, and greater engagement with FSCL’s 9,355 participating providers to help ensure they are meeting regulatory obligations to inform customers about the scheme’s complaints process.
FSCL chief executive Susan Taylor said the organisation is moving ahead with those suggestions. “The board has accepted all the recommendations, and we are already implementing them. One of the challenges highlighted is that 20% of financial services consumers are unaware of any dispute resolution options available to them. We are actively working on increasing consumer awareness of our service and reaching more consumers, so they know help is available when they have a problem with their financial service provider,” she said. For the insurance sector, the review and governance developments reinforce regulatory expectations around clear disclosure of dispute resolution rights, effective internal complaints handling, and cooperation with external schemes as part of conduct and culture oversight.
