Luke Dingle

He’s a financial adviser by day, and a champion powerlifter by night.

In his role as an associate at PlanWise in Mount Maunganui, Waikato Management School graduate Luke Dingle gives professional finance advice to clients about personal insurance and mortgages.

He’s no slouch in his personal life either, having taken out first place at the New Zealand national powerlifting champs as a 105kg junior, and broken records at the Oceania-Asia Powerlifting Champs.

A former Mount Maunganui College student, Luke feels that his Bachelor of Management Studies degree from Waikato perfectly complements his career in financial services, as it has allowed him to demonstrate strategic insights into his clients’ businesses.

Luke gained hands-on experience by interning at PlanWise while still at university, and was then offered a full-time role when he graduated.

“I’ve always been interested in the world of business, and want to develop strategies that will enable young people to gain headway into financially stable futures. Thanks to my studies at Waikato, I’ve been able to contribute valuable insights into the development of Planwise’s ‘Financial literacy for youth’ seminars.”

At university, he particularly enjoyed the third-year strategic management paper STMG391, which he describes as “the most exciting and beneficial paper that I did at university”. Asked what advice he would give to new students, Luke says, “Fill your boots and make the most of every opportunity that you can; then you will thoroughly enjoy your time at Waikato University.”