Toni Dodds, quality assurance manager at Lifetime Group, has been given the position.

The advisory council provides guidance and support to Financial Dispute Resolution Service.

Financial Dispute Resolution Service is an approved dispute resolution scheme for financial service providers in New Zealand. The scheme is managed by FairWay Resolution Limited, New Zealand’s largest specialist conflict management and dispute resolution organisation, which handles more than 16,000 disputes, reviews and inquiries each year.

“I am very pleased to join Stephen Ward, David Whyte, Dr Pushpa Wood and Bill Bevan on the advisory council," Dodds said.

"I’m very passionate and about financial services and I look forward to presenting an industry perspective at Financial Dispute Resolution Service’s advisory council meetings."

The council comprises of an independent chair, two industry representatives and two consumer representatives.

Dodds has more htan ten years’ experience in the financial advice industry and holds Level 5 qualifications, as well as degrees in business and supervision management.

She replaces Justin Kerr, who retired from the council in October.

“While we are very pleased to have Toni on board, Justin will be missed by the team. Justin has been a member of the advisory council since the inception of Financial Dispute Resolution Service and I would like to thank him for his great contribution to Financial Dispute Resolution Service during that time,” said Trevor Slater, client director of Financial Dispute Resolution Service.