2017 Hot List Recipient
2020 Hot List Recipient
2021 CEO of the Year
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Driven by vision, trust and hard work
Josh Bronkhorst, CEO of Link Financial Group, didn’t start out envisioning a career in financial services. His early ambition was to build a career in law, and he pursued that goal straight out of school. However, life had other plans for him. Now a leader in New Zealand’s financial services sector, Bronkhorst's journey has been anything but conventional, shaped by a series of pivotal career shifts, a relentless work ethic and a vision to create better outcomes for both clients and advisers.
Speaking to NZ Adviser, Bronkhorst discusses his unique career trajectory and how he came to head up one of New Zealand’s most successful aggregation businesses.
“I actually worked for the government in South Africa for about seven years as a public defender,” Bronkhorst says.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt a lot, but after seven years I realised that it wasn’t what I saw myself doing for the rest of my life. I then had the
“In addition, the basic ideas of trust and loyalty – I’ve always lived by those. It’s not complicated. People need to trust you, and you need to do what you say you’re going to do.”
These principles have guided his leadership of Link Financial Group, especially as the financial services landscape in New Zealand has evolved. Regulatory changes have presented significant challenges for both aggregators and advisers, making it more costly and complex to operate. But Bronkhorst is optimistic, seeing opportunity in these changes.
For Link Financial Group, the focus is on supporting advisers to remain in the industry.
“It’s all about what we can do for advisers, and how we can make sure they don’t end up leaving the business because it’s become too hard,” Bronkhorst says. “We want to make sure they become more profitable so that they can absorb the additional costs.”
Spotlight
For those who work closely with him today, Bronkhorst is known as a man who leads by example, and his dedication and persistence are part of what has driven Link Financial Group’s growth and success.
“Good old-fashioned hard work, rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in is really my style,” Bronkhorst says. He credits his mindset to a piece of advice from legendary golfer Gary Player. “Early in my career, I heard Gary Player saying, ‘The harder I practise, the luckier I get’, and I’ve always lived by that.”
Bronkhorst also highlights the importance of a clear vision, and of chasing that vision relentlessly no matter the obstacles. “If you have a bad day, get up in the morning, shake it off, and chase that vision again,” he says.
Founded over 30 years ago by visionary mortgage advisers, Mortgage Link became one of New Zealand’s first financial adviser aggregators. Expanding its offerings to offer a holistic approach to financial services, Insurance Link and sister companies were launched, forming LFG. As a financial advice provider, LFG supports advisers with the flexibility to operate under its licence or independently, providing robust compliance support, a custom-built CRM and professional development.
In 2022, NZHL Group, an adviser network focused on financial freedom, became the majority shareholder, bringing further resources to empower advisers and support Kiwis in improving their financial futures. NZHL Group is part of Kiwi Group Capital Ltd (KGC), which is 100% government owned.
Company Profile
32*
Number of employees
200+
Number of Adviser businesses supported
~$3bn
Annual lending volume
100%
New Zealand ownership
Bio
Spotlight
Milestones
Media
Accolades
Company Profile
Years in the industry
33
Career highlights
Acquiring Mortgage Link in 2014, transforming it into Link Financial Group, and establishing a partnership with NZHL Group
Co-founding Advice Link with
Matt Gilbert – watching it grow to 500+ users and service LFG and NZHL
Josh Bronkhorst
CEO of Link Financial Group
Reflecting on his journey from public defender to financial leader, Josh Bronkhorst shares how persistence, adaptability and a passion for property helped him drive Link Financial Group’s success
Read on
“Good old-fashioned hard work, rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in is really my style. I heard [golfer] Gary Player saying, ‘The harder I practice, the luckier I get’, and I’ve always lived by that”
Josh Bronkhorst,
Link Financial Group
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Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
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Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Career highlight
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
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Building a business around trust and hard work
Published 24 Feb 2025
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“We have plenty of advisers who come into the business very green, and then five to six years later you can see how they’ve grown and developed. That’s probably the best thing about what I do”
Josh Bronkhorst,
Link Financial Group
opportunity to move to one of the large insurance companies in South Africa as a legal adviser.”
That opportunity was a turning point. Spending time with financial advisers and clients, Bronkhorst discovered a passion for the industry.
“Within 12 to 18 months, I realised that I had a real passion for engaging with clients,” he says.
He pivoted from being a legal adviser to a financial adviser, and after several years as a tied agent, he took the leap to start his own brokerage in Johannesburg. It was a decision that laid the foundation for his future leadership in the industry.
Bronkhorst’s move to New Zealand marked another major career shift. He joined Sovereign as national sales manager, overseeing its mortgage division. It was here that he gained a deep appreciation for the Kiwi passion for property – and recognised how central the mortgage industry is to that passion.
When the opportunity to invest in Mortgage Link came along, Bronkhorst didn’t hesitate. “I jumped at it,” he says. “In the following year, I set up Insurance Link and FG Link. Then in 2017, I started Link Financial Group to become our holding company. It’s not something I ever thought I’d become involved in, but it’s been a really exciting journey.”
A key part of that journey has been technology. Under Bronkhorst’s leadership, Link Financial Group has developed its own custom CRM, Advice Link, giving members of the group access to a tailored platform designed for their needs. The platform has now exceeded 500 users – a personal target for Bronkhorst, and a sign that all the hard work of the last 10 years is paying off.
A passion for property
In a move that positioned the company for long-term growth, Link Financial Group joined NZHL Group in 2022 – a purpose-driven (financial freedom, faster) network of home loan and insurance advisers that offers a solution to supporting advisers and helping Kiwis improve their financial position.
As a leader, Bronkhorst is quick to credit his team for the company’s success.
“One of the most important lessons for me is that nothing worthwhile comes easy,” he says. “In addition, people are your greatest asset. You cannot build a successful business without the right people to journey with.”
Looking back on his career, Bronkhorst sees one constant: a focus on creating great outcomes for clients. That mission continues to motivate him, especially when he reflects on the growth of the advisers in his network.
“Everything we do is about making advisers more successful, and I personally take great pleasure in seeing the growth,” Bronkhorst says.
“We have plenty of advisers who come into the business very green, and then five to six years later you can see how they’ve grown and developed. That’s probably the best thing about what I do.”
To find out more about Link Financial Group, click here.
1991
2016
2017
2021
1991
Mortgage Link is established as one of the founding aggregators for financial advisers in New Zealand
FG Link is founded to provide commercial and fire & general insurance
2016
Launch of Link Financial Group as a holding company
2017
Advice Link is proudly developed in New Zealand with a New Zealand-based support team
2021
Milestones
1991
2016
2017
2021
1991
Mortgage Link is established as one of the founding aggregators for financial advisers in New Zealand
FG Link is founded to provide commercial and fire & general insurance
2016
Launch of Link Financial Group as a holding company
2017
Advice Link is proudly developed in New Zealand with a New Zealand-based support team
2021
Milestones
1991
2016
2017
2021
1991
Mortgage Link is established as one of the founding aggregators for financial advisers in New Zealand
FG Link is founded to provide commercial and fire & general insurance
2016
Launch of Link Financial Group as a holding company
2017
Advice Link is proudly developed in New Zealand with a New Zealand-based support team
2021
Milestones
*Not including Advice Link CRM employees
Not including insurance, fire & general, KiwiSaver/investment activity and/or Advice Link CRM users
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