News in brief

MAS strikes double gold at prestigious industry awards  

Learning new skills is an important part of any role, and at MAS, our learning and development programmes have been recognised as some of the industry’s best. 

At the MAS won gold in the compliance training and certification program me categories as well as a bronze award for Best Learning Team. 

With competition strong, entries were judged by a panel of senior industry experts who looked at aspects like innovation and creativity, design and measurable benefits when choosing the winners.  

For MAS Chief Finance and Risk Officer Matthew Judge, taking home three awards was the icing on the cake for the hardworking team who developed the programmes.  

“I’m extremely proud that our MAS Learning team has been recognised for developing a ‘gold standard’ certification for the MAS Protect Accreditation Program.  

“The process of pulling the programme together was not easy, but it was important that our MAS Advisers understood the new regulatory requirements and were fully competent and capable of providing high-quality financial advice to Members.” 

Recognising top engineering talent 

Kishan Seger has been named as 2023’s Young Engineer of the year, an accolade proudly supported by MAS as part of the Engineering New Zealand ENVI Awards. 

The Tauranga-based structural engineering specialist says scooping the award was an honour. “I was absolutely thrilled to hear my name called out as the winner, and to be recognised alongside such talent in the industry is truly humbling.” 

He says it was his knack for maths that led him to study engineering at the University of Auckland, and since starting his current role at Beca 6 years ago, his interest in buildings has morphed into a passion.  

“It’s incredible to think you can make such an impact with work like this – not just on the built environment but an impact on the people you’re working with and the wider community.”  

These days, Kishan is involved with everything from providing seismic advisory services to some of Aotearoa’s biggest companies to delivering seminars on sustainable construction. When it comes to career highlights, he says a potential development at Waikeria Prison is a particular stand-out.  

“Part of the work included designing a recreational facility where inmates can interact with their loved ones when they come to visit. The project had health and wellbeing at its core as well as an emphasis on building for sustainability, and that really resonated with me.”

Dental grads all smiles at job fair 

The New Zealand Dental Association Employment Fair is not your average job expo.  

The ‘speed interview’ format of the event is what makes the NZDA Employment Fair, which is proudly supported by MAS, such a fixture on the annual calendar of New Zealand’s dental graduates. It’s a valuable opportunity not only to meet with employers of choice but also to network with other new and recent graduates.  

This year, a record 71 employers took part in the Employment Fair, meeting with 82 graduates from around the country.  

For Ruby Murray, it meant securing a job back home in her native Northland, rather than staying in Auckland where she had undertaken her dental training.  

“My interests are in treating low socio-economic communities and Māori communities. So Northland fits that bill. Also because it’s home, it’s beautiful,” Ruby says.  

With only a couple of months remaining until her graduation, Aucklander Sarah McCarthy was also making the most of the speed interviews.  

“I’ve known about this day since I first got into dental school. Everyone’s always been talking about the employment fair. You get quite a good gauge of people, and you can learn a lot in those 10 minutes.”

Supporting breast cancer prevention 

In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, MAS offered a reimbursement of up to $300 of the cost of a 2D or tomography (3D) screening mammogram to female Members aged 40 to 44 who have held both an active Recovery and Income Security policy for at least 3 years.  

In New Zealand, mammograms are offered free through the national screening programme to women aged 45 to 69. However, as cancer risk increases with age, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ recommends women begin annual mammograms from 40.  

The MAS initiative was designed to address this gap in screening and is another way we’re supporting Members to take care of their health. This offer was also provided to eligible MAS staff. 

Mammograms can pick up changes before they can be seen or felt, and earlier detection makes cancer easier to treat, allows for more treatment options and saves lives.  

According to Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, one in nine Kiwi women will be affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. It’s the most common cancer for women in Aotearoa and the third most common cancer overall.  

The Foundation says getting to know your "normal", performing self-checks and scheduling regular mammograms are the best ways to protect against the disease. See breastcancerfoundation.org.nz for details. 

To find out more about breast cancer prevention, check out the MAS content hub: mas.co.nz/hub/