Bloomsbury Associates
About us
Philip Stevenson established Bloomsbury Associates in 2009 on his return to New Zealand from the UK. He found there was a lack of financial advice services that focused on helping people achieve their personal aspirations and help others through their investments; whether it be their loved ones or through a charitable organisation.
We have an extensive network of specialised knowledge on which to draw. We work alongside the best external specialists, including wealth management experts and researchers, accountants, lawyers, insurance providers and other professionals to ensure the most up-to-date, first class advice.
You are welcome to contact us by phone on +64 4 499 6979 or email at info@bloomsbury.co.nz
Bloomsbury Associates are proud supporters of the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute and the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
Philip Stevenson AIF©, F Fin, NZX Dip., INFINZ (Cert), BA (History)
Founder and Principal Adviser
Philip has worked in the financial services industry for more than 25 years. He has held senior management positions with Jardens, a leading New Zealand investment bank and sharebroking firm, and with FNZ, a global custodian and digital technology business which he helped found in Wellington. Prior to returning to New Zealand and establishing Bloomsbury Associates, his most recent role was UK Country Manager for Macquarie Bank in the City of London.
Philip is a qualified Financial Adviser and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary©. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance & Investment and an NZX Diploma from the Securities Institute of Australia, and a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Victoria University of Wellington. He is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), and a Certified Member of the Institute of Finance Professionals NZ (INFINZ).
Lauren Teague
Financial Adviser
Lauren is a qualified Financial Adviser with ten years' industry experience. She has worked across a range of sectors in Financial Services, and has particular expertise in the areas of wealth management and KiwiSaver. Prior to her work at Bloomsbury Associates, she spent time raising a family, and was a financial adviser with AdviceFirst, a nationwide financial planning firm.
Lauren's key role at Bloomsbury Associates is to work with clients and our Principal Adviser, reviewing planning strategies and investment suitability, and modelling solutions to measure progress towards clients' specific investment plans. Lauren is a member of our internal Bloomsbury Investment Committee.
Brianna McClelland
Adviser Assistant
Brianna brings strong client-service skills and a wide knowledge base to Bloomsbury Associates. Prior to moving to New Zealand, Brianna was involved in customer service and project liaison for a specialist construction company in Brisbane.
Brianna supports our Financial Advisers and takes a key organising role in the delivery of best-practice services for our clients. She administers client investment portfolios, as well as performing day-to-day operational, administrative and regulatory functions.
Rachael Stevens
Paraplanner
Rachael has strong expertise in administration, operations and support roles in the asset management and professional services sectors in New Zealand and Australia.
At Bloomsbury Associates, Rachael works alongside our advice team to model clients financial situations and prepare detailed documentation for advisers to analyse these scenarios with clients.
Joel Glynn
Investment Consultant
Joel is a qualified Financial Adviser. He completed a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics and Finance, from Victoria University of Wellington. While completing his conjoint programme, Joel was a tertiary Economics tutor, also working part-time for Bloomsbury Associates.
Joel is currently engaged as an Economist for Infometrics, and is also a member of our internal Bloomsbury Investment Committee.
Our External Investment Committee *
Damon O'Brien CFA, AFA, BCom (Economics & Operations Research), AIF©
Damon is a CFA® charterholder. Damon's career path has included exposure to a boutique wealth management firm, a national advisory dealer group and a 'fund of hedge funds' company. Working in these differing businesses has provided him with a unique perspective across the wider investment and advisory industry in New Zealand.
Damon is the chair of the Consilium investment committee.
He has a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Operations Research from University of Canterbury and, after joining the wealth management industry, went on to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies (Personal Financial Planning) through Massey University. As a CFA® charterholder, Damon is bound by the CFA Institute's Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
Ben Brinkerhoff AIF©, BA (History & Economics)
Ben has a background in wealth management. Prior to moving to New Zealand, he was Chief Operating Officer at Index Fund Advisors, an advisory firm with $2.2 billion of funds under advice. His career has also seen him undertake the role of senior economic consultant, and economic manager for the Qatar Economic Free Zones.
Ben's main role is to facilitate growth and improve efficiency in Consilium partner firms, and help them achieve their strategic initiatives. He is also a member of the Consilium investment committee.
Ben is an Authorised Financial Adviser (AFA) and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) and has a BA in History and Economics from University of California.
Mitchell Bristow CFA, BSc (Statistics), BCom (Management Science)
Mitchell returned to New Zealand after a number of years working in Hong Kong as a Quantitative Analyst and Risk Manager for funds across a broad range of investment strategies. Mitchell's professional career has focused on financial modelling and data analysis, with significant experience in tracking, monitoring and reporting on the performance of recommended investments.
In his role at Consilium, Mitchell is an integral part of the investment committee, with a range of primary and supporting responsibilities in the areas of investment analysis, performance monitoring, supplementary fund due diligence, asset allocation and research. He is also a member of the investment committee.
Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Statistics) and a Bachelor of Commerce (majoring in Management Science) from the University of Canterbury.
Mitchell is a candidate in the CFA® program and is bound by the CFA Institute's Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
* Our external investment committee is provided by Consilium NZ
Our Partners
The Gift Trust
The Gift Trust is a philanthropic charity that offers our clients a unique way to donate more efficiently and effectively to charitable organisations.
The Gift Trust sets up donor-advised funds called 'Gift Accounts' through which our clients can donate to charities of their choice. Bloomsbury Associates manages the Gift Account investments while The Gift Trust takes care of the charity-related liaison and due diligence.
As soon as clients put money into the account, they can receive the tax credit and so funds can be invested for tax-free growth.
CEFEX (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence)
CEFEX (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence) is an independent global assessment and certification organisation. It assesses professional financial advisors through a rigorous annual audit process.
Bloomsbury Associate's CEFEX certification means we exceed minimum regulatory standards, have high standards of global fiduciary best practice and always place our clients' interests first.
Global best practice - CEFEX
We are the first financial adviser practice in Wellington to be independently audited and certified according to global best practice standards. Read more about CEFEX
Investment videos
We invest carefully and wisely for the longer term, basing our strategy on well-established facts, not guesswork. These videos provide an overview of our approach. Read more about investment videos