Banking Health Check
Gives you as business owners, CFOs and finance teams a clear view of whether your current banking structure is fit for purpose, cost-effective and ready for growth.
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We know how banks think.
Now we work for you.
Independent transaction banking advice for mid-market and large New Zealand organisations. Practical experience from inside banks, applied on your side of the table.
The problem
Banking gets complex quietly
Cash sits in receivables. Fee structures grow by accident. Payment processes stay manual. Finance teams are busy running the business, not reviewing bank arrangements every quarter.
Fragmented accounts, channels and payment setups
Hard-to-see fees across entities and products
Limited time to run a proper banking review
Bank speak that is hard to turn into decisions
How we help
A clear path from asking to results
We sit with the business, not the bank. We translate options into plain English, then help you negotiate, implement and measure what changed.
1
Ask and Listen
See how your banking setup really works today.
2
Recommend
Get a clear, plain-English view of what to change.
3
Negotiate
Sit on your side of the table with the bank.
4
Implement
Turn decisions into working accounts, channels and processes.
5
Measure
Track savings, control and operational gains.
Services
Clear packages with lasting outcomes
Each package can stand alone or form part of a broader engagement — from ask and listen through recommend, negotiate, implement and measure.
Bank Cost and Fee Review
Reduce avoidable banking costs and ensure you are on the most suitable account and fee structures for how you actually bank.
Learn morePayments and Receivables Optimisation
Improve how money comes in and goes out, reducing manual effort, improving reconciliation and freeing up cash from working capital.
Learn moreBank RFP, RFI and Negotiation Support
Help you select, challenge or renegotiate with banks from a position of confidence, using clear requirements and deep banking knowledge.
Learn moreBanking Implementation and Transition
Turn banking decisions into working outcomes by leading execution, documentation, onboarding, testing and business change.
Learn moreTreasury, Liquidity and Cash Visibility Review
Improve control, visibility and use of cash across entities, banks, currencies and jurisdictions.
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Why us?
What you get when we sit on your side of the table
Banking experience
More than 85 years of senior banking experience across payments, cash, liquidity, trade and operational banking.
Independence
We work for the client. Our advice is shaped by what fits your business, not a bank mandate.
Plain English
We turn bank speak into decisions your finance team, CFO and board can follow and act on.
Ready for a clearer view of your banking setup?
Start with a conversation. We will help you work out whether a health check, fee review or wider engagement is the right next step.
FAQ
Common questions
What does Whakaaro Limited do?
Whakaaro is an independent transaction banking consultancy that works on the client’s side of the table. We help New Zealand organisations review banking arrangements, fees, payments, RFPs, implementation and ongoing banking performance. We are a culturally aware and responsive company that wants to help simplify banking processes and banking language.
Who is Whakaaro for?
We work with mid-market and large New Zealand organisations, Iwis and cultural organisations. This includes CFOs, finance managers, treasurers, business owners and boards that need clearer banking decisions without hiring specialist transaction banking capability in-house. We aim to give the financial mana to the right people.
Are you a bank or a bank-side consultant?
No. Our founders come from senior banking roles, but Whakaaro advises clients, not banks. The advice is shaped around what fits the business, not a bank mandate.
What services do you offer?
Eight outcome packages: Banking Health Check; Bank Cost and Fee Review; Payments and Receivables Optimisation; Bank RFP, RFI and Negotiation Support; Banking Implementation and Transition; Treasury, Liquidity and Cash Visibility Review; Payments Modernisation; and Partner for Life.
Where is Whakaaro based?
Whakaaro Limited is based in Auckland, New Zealand, and works with organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.
How do I start a conversation?
Contact Jarron on 021 039 4683 or Cody on 021 623 691, email info@whakaaro.kiwi, or use the contact form at whakaaro.kiwi/contact.