Lockton opened its New Zealand operation on Monday, with risk and insurance advisors based in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch.
The global full-service corporate broker, which first announced its plans in June, said in a statement that it aims to fill a gap in the New Zealand corporate space by raising the bar on the service provided to clients. The company has plans for further expansion in other locations across New Zealand’s North and South Islands in the short to medium term.
Due to the nationwide lockdown, all of Lockton NZ’s employees are working remotely, until the government allows resumption of in-office work. The company’s New Zealand headquarters are located at 1 Albert Street in Auckland’s CBD.
To lead the New Zealand operation, Lockton has appointed Melanie Harding as chief operations officer. She has more than two decades’ industry experience, having worked in Paris, Dublin, New York and Auckland.
Also appointed were Niall Martin, head of employee benefits; Jessica Schade, head of captive and alternative risk transfer (ART); and Ged McCombie, head of Pacific. Martin has 20 years of experience in managing and providing employee benefit consulting advice to major corporate clients in both Ireland and New Zealand. Schade, an experienced captive and ART professional, has been forming and managing captive insurance companies for major New Zealand and Australian businesses since 2007. McCombie, who has provided client-focused broking services to a wide range of business sectors for the past 40 years, will oversee Lockton’s risk business in the Pacific region.
According to Lockton, it is set to double its New Zealand headcount by the end of the year.
“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,” said Paul Marsden, Lockton Companies Australia CEO. “We do this by providing consistent and unmatched service to all of our clients, and championing risk-led conversations, rather than just insurance.”
