Lockton today opened its New Zealand operation (Lockton Companies NZ Limited Partnership), with a clear intention to set new client servicing standards for risk and insurance in the New Zealand market.
With risk and insurance advisors in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, the full-service corporate broker has plans to fill the gap in the New Zealand corporate space by raising the bar on service levels offered by other brokers. Lockton also has its sights set on further expansion in other locations across the North and South Islands in the short to medium term.
“The decision to expand into New Zealand and open an office in Auckland was a logical next step for Lockton as we continue to expand our global reach in markets where we know we can make the greatest difference. We do this by providing consistent and unmatched service to all of our clients, and championing risk-led conversations, rather than just insurance,” says Paul Marsden, Lockton Companies Australia CEO.
Lockton New Zealand opened today amid a nationwide lockdown, with all employees working remotely until the government deems it safe to work from their Auckland CBD office at 1 Albert Street.
Leveraging the resources and talent of a global company, Lockton New Zealand is backed by a team of highly experienced local specialists and industry leaders including Melanie Harding, who joins as Chief Operations Officer with more than two decades of industry experience, working in Paris, Dublin, New York and Auckland.
Ms Harding is joined by Niall Martin as Head of Employee Benefits, Jessica Schade as Head of Captive & Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) and Ged McCombie as Head of Pacific.
Mr Martin brings with him 20 years of experience in managing and providing Employee Benefit consulting advice to major corporate clients in both Ireland and New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Ms Schade, who is widely considered the region’s leading Captive and ART professional, has been forming and managing captive insurance companies for major New Zealand and Australian businesses since 2007, assisting them with achieving their short and long-term risk strategies.
Finally, Mr McCombie, who for the past 40 years has provided client-focused broking services to a wide range of business sectors, will provide the full strength of Lockton’s risk solution capabilities to clients in the Pacific region.
Several other appointments have already been made, with the New Zealand team set to double by the end of the year.
Lockton is the world’s largest privately-held insurance brokerage. Its 8,500+ professionals, in over 100 offices, focus on providing more than 65,000 clients with the best in risk management, insurance, and employee benefits services.
From its founding in 1966 in Kansas City, Missouri, Lockton has demonstrated its commitment to helping clients achieve their business objectives through protecting their most valuable assets - their people, property, and reputations.
“As a family organisation, we are not driven by the quarterly pressure from the financial markets. We are uniquely positioned to enter the New Zealand market and deliver the lost art of service in a world of automation. Our clients tell the Lockton story best, as evident by our 98% client retention rate in Australia,” Mr Marsden explains.