Lockton NZ commenced its operation last September, amid a nationwide lockdown, with just 10 employees based out of Auckland. Fast forward 12 months, and the Lockton NZ business now has 24 associates, and growing, working across three offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton.
Lockton NZ’s senior leaders, many of which have been with the business since the beginning, recently took a moment to reflect on the past year.
Melanie Harding, Chief Operating Officer
What have been some of the highlights of the first year of Lockton in New Zealand?
“That’s easy. Creating something from scratch and onboarding our first client was definitely a highlight.”
Ged McCombie, Head of Pacific
What lessons have you learned in your first year at Lockton?
“The lessons learned are more lessons that have been reinforced. For example, the fact that our clients are not only looking for knowledge, but for that knowledge to be delivered very personally and very directly.”
Craig Buckle, Head of Corporate
What motivated you to be a part of the Lockton New Zealand business?
“For me, it was the unique opportunity to work alongside a bunch of like-minded people who are passionate about bringing great customer experiences to New Zealand businesses.”
Niall Martin, Head of Employee Benefits
What makes Lockton different from other brokerages?
“In the context of Lockton as a perpetually private organisation, we’ve very different from our peers in that we have a long-term focus, are very caring about our people, caring about our clients and caring about our community.”
Jessica Schade, Head of Captives and Alternative Risk Transfer
What do you enjoy most about working at Lockton New Zealand?
“Working with colleagues that all have the same goal of putting the client first.”
Looking ahead, Lockton NZ CEO, Peter Lowe, said the focus will remain on recruiting specialists to help their growing client base.
“It has been really pleasing to see how our clients and prospects have jumped on board and embraced our client-first mentality.”
“It’s been a really exciting ride so far and I expect it to continue.”