Dr Pushpa Wood receiving her award from the Papatoetoe Central Rotary Club.
Dr Pushpa Wood, the director of the Westpac Massey Fin-Ed Centre, has received the Indian Diaspora Award in recognition of her contribution to education and improving New Zealanders’ financial capability.
The award was presented at the Papatoetoe Central Rotary Club’s annual fundraising dinner, which had an “Indian diaspora” theme this year. The aim was to recognise and celebrate the achievements of Kiwi-Indians who have made their community proud.
Dr Wood says her work with the Fin-Ed Centre, which includes researching New Zealanders’ attitudes to finances, developing educational resources to improve financial capability and providing financial advice in the media, were a big part of the reason she was chosen for the award.
“I am always humbled to get any acknowledgement for the work that I do, let alone being awarded for it,” she says. “I do what I do because I can, I like doing it and, above all, I feel a duty to share my knowledge and experience.
“Being recognised by my own people is doubly rewarding. I feel people around me have been really generous in recognising me for something that I love doing and get paid for doing.”
In addition to her work with the Fin-Ed Centre, Dr Wood has also been appointed as a permanent board member for the National Building Financial Capability Charitable Trust and is an active speaker on financial matters.
In the past month alone, she has shared her experiences advising the government of Timor Leste with the Women in Super Group, runs a workshop for financial advisers at the annual The Association Conference, and given a research presentation at this year’s Financial Capability Summit.