Mary Holm

Wellington, March 24 NZPA - Investment writer and commentator Mary Holm has joined the capital market development taskforce.

The taskforce, headed by investment banker Rob Cameron, was set up by the previous Labour-led government last year to try to develop New Zealand's capital markets.

Commerce Minister Simon Power today said he was keen to reinforce the retail investor perspective on the group to help build confidence in financial markets.

Mr Cameron said that as well as helping shape the taskforce's recommendations, Ms Holm's writing skills would be useful in the group's reports.

Ms Holm is an award-winning investment columnist, and has written several books.

She lectures in financial literacy at the University of Auckland, and previously worked on the 1997 Todd report on retirement income.

She holds an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago, and an MA in journalism from the University of Michigan.

The taskforce is due to produce an action plan for developing New Zealand's capital markets later this year.

It released an interim report last November which focused on ways to make it easier for businesses to obtain funding from capital markets, in light of the financial crisis.

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