Apex : Everything you need to know

Apex: Everything you need to know

Headquarters address	264 Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden, Auckland 1024, New Zealand
Size (employees)	30+
Office locations	Auckland, Christchurch, Bay of Plenty, Thames
Number of clients	139,000+
Gross written premiums	$520 million
Underwriting expertise	Mobile plant and trucking; film, advertising, television & arts; marine; body corporates; sports, entertainment, & leisure
Key people	James McGhie (managing director), Jill McMillan (director), Jo Davies (finance and administration manager), Julian Clarke (director – Christchurch), Brent Mullan (director – Apex Marine), John Stephenson (director – Thames)

About Apex

Apex Insurance is an independent insurance broking company based in Auckland, with offices in Christchurch, Bay of Plenty, and Thames. It has a nationwide reach through its more than 30-strong team of managers, brokers and claims handlers.

Apex differentiates itself by not being restricted by “old traditions and archaic systems thought up in London,” instead cutting through red tape and presenting its offering in plain English terms that customers can easily get to grips with.

“Like many success stories, ours started with an idea,” Apex states. “How could we protect kiwi businesses if we didn’t truly understand them? If we didn’t get out from our corporate ivory tower and actually walk in their shoes for a day? So that’s exactly what we did 25 years ago. We got out and started our own independent broking company – Apex Insurance.”

Since its start, Apex has purchased a number of brokerages and extended its range of services to offer personal risk management advice around life insurance, investments and mortgages.

Apex Insurance in the news

September 2104: Green broker Apex Insurance tracks fleet to reduce carbon footprint
November 2014: Apex Insurance looking to branch out
March 2015: Apex Insurance seals two deals
April 2017: NZ insurance industry unfazed by Cyclone Debbie
June 2017: Five minutes with… James McGhie, managing director of Apex General
July 2019: Revealed: New Zealand’s Top Insurance Workplaces 2019
July 2020: 2020 Top Insurance Workplaces revealed
November 2021: Event venue operators' group creates insurance scheme for members
October 2022: Tech and advice – where do advisers draw the line?

Key people

James McGhie – Managing Director

McGhie has over 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry, and has spent time working in insurance companies across London and the Middle East. Prior to his time at Apex, McGhie was the director of another international insurance brokerage and has had a number of New Zealand regional sports associations on his client roster. He also has significant expertise in film and property.

Jill McMillan – Director

McMillan has been active in the insurance industry for over 26 years, having started her career at Royal Insurance in 1985. She became a business partner at Richard Burrows Insurance Services in 1997, which was later incorporated into Apex General in 1999.

Julian Clarke – Director, Christchurch branch

Clarke has commercial experience across a broad area of financial services, and was previously a lawyer and managing partner at one of New Zealand’s largest law firms before becoming an insurance broker.

Culture

Apex Insurance’s affiliations include the following.

CarboNZero: A certifier for greenhouse gas footprint measurement and emission reduction.

Sustainable Business Network: An organisation providing members with networking opportunities, practical tools, training and assessments to help them become more sustainable.

Million Metres Streams Project: A non-profit project aiming to restore New Zealand’s waterways, metre by metre. Its aim is to reach a million metres.

Panasonic People’s Triathlon Series: Auckland’s longest running triathlon series. Each event supports a wide range of abilities, enabling participants to race as competitively or recreationally as they like.