ANZ deal fantastic for ING: Fyfe
"It will be very good for the ING business," he says.
Fyfe was in charge of the company when the joint venture deal was done. While he finished his role as MD in 2006 he has been a consultant to ING up until May this year.
He says one of the benefits of buyout is that there will be "one company, one strategy."
Under the joint venture there has been friction between the two parties from time to time, most recently in the funds management side over the failure of the Diversified Yield and Regular Income funds.
Fyfe says under ANZ's ownership there is likely to be a review of the ING business and its products, and changes made. He suggests there is a very good chance that ING will become the model for what ANZ does in Asia.
Fyfe expects the independent financial adviser network will also be under review.
One opportunity he can see for the bank is that it builds a network of paraplanners.
Fyfe is pleased that the deal has been done and says that ANZ is a better home for the New Zealand business than being part of a Dutch-based financial services group.
"The family (ING) is in now, is better than the family there were in," he says.
"The result will be fantastic for ING."
Clayton Coplestone
