I  began my career in 1989 as an account manager with UDC Finance where I specialised in commercial finance. In 1997 I joined the Southland Building Society, now SBS Bank, as a senior loans officer responsible for residential and commercial lending. I was appointed territory manager for Southland with Farmers Mutual Group, the rural insurance and investment company two years later.

In 2002 me and an associate established Piper Oliver Financial Services (POFS), a successful specialist risk insurance and investment advisory firm. POFS merged with another Southland advisory firm, AMP South (a risk insurance specialist), and together, they formed Investfirst, an investment advice company, both of which I was a director. AMP South and Investfirst won three ‘AMP Adviser Business of the Year’ awards during my tenure as a director of those firms.

I sold my interest in Investfirst in 2011 in order to establish an independent advisory business, Steve Oliver Financial Services (SOFS). 

I endeavour to live a balanced life and my goal is to help my clients achieve that as well. We do that, by keeping it simple and taking a pragmatic, commonsense approach to financial management. By getting the basics right first, we can ensure that clients can go on to build passive income, protect themselves and their businesses against the unforeseen, create wealth and ensure a prosperous future.

I have been married to Marcia for 17 years and we are the proud. Parent of three children; Sophie, Katie and Carter.

I previously owned a retail business, and currently have an interest in a residential property investment and a commercial property company. I am an active investor in property and equities.  I am a member and director of the Invercargill Rotary Club and last year became a member of the committee that established the inaugural Invercargill Wild Food Festival. My leisure interests include mountain biking, surfing and skiing. I follow soccer and sponsor the Old Boys AFC Football Club in Invercargill.