IAG NZ shows industry leadership at insurance awards

IAG New Zealand has been named the Women’s Employer of the Year award, at the seventh annual New Zealand Insurance Awards presented by the Australia and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF).

IAG Executive General Manager People and Culture Merran Anderson accepted the award at the ANZIIF ceremony held at the SkyCity Convention Centre, Auckland, on November 29.

Anderson says the company, New Zealand’s largest general insurer, has established gender equality objectives to create a foundation of trust and an environment where women have equal opportunity to express ideas, take risks and put themselves forward for promotion.

“This is critical for our culture and how sustainable we are as a business. It goes beyond pay equality and leadership development. We want our people to know we welcome and celebrate their differences, they can be themeselves here and they belong to the IAG family.”

IAG gender equity objectives include eliminating gender pay objectives for equivalent roles, increasing the number of women in senior management posititions to 50 percent by 2020 and ensuring its policies, guidelines and behaviours support gender equity.

The company has already relaunched its flexible working policy, enabling its people to work when and where they like, a women’s employee network group has been established aimed at removing barriers to geneder equality and IAG is now working towards achieving the Domestic and Family Violence Tick.

In addition to the being named Women’s Employer, AMI and NZI, both part of IAG New Zealand, were finalists in the Direct General Insurance and Intermediated Insurer of the Year categories, respectively.

IAG’s Matthew Botur was a nominee in the Young Insurance Professional of the Year award. Mr Botur, a team leader in IAG’s data, analytics and AI team based in Christchurch, was nominated for his innovative insuretech work and was the recipient of last year’s prestigious ANZIIF scholarship.

IAG Chief Executive Craig Olsen says the nominations acknowledge the hard work and commitment towards IAG’s people.

“I want to congratulate all of IAG’s winners and finalists in the ANZIIF Awards.

“It’s a great achievement to be the winner of the Women’s Insurance Employer of the Year. It’s also fantastic to see for NZI and AMI as finalists in the Intermediated and Direct General Insurance Company of the Year awards.

“Being recognised as the Women’s Employer of the Year category is an honour, and speaks of our commitment to supporting women in the workforce, particularly in the insurance industry.

“It was a great night for all of us at IAG as we recognised the women of IAG, our young professionals, and the overall performance of our brands,” Olsen says.

2018 ANZIIF Awards

Women’s Insurance Employer of the Year

Winner: IAG New Zealand

Intermediated Insurance Company

Finalist: NZI

Direct General Insurance Company of the Year

Finalist: AMI Insurance

Young Insurance Professional of the Year

Finalist: Matthew Botur.

© Scoop Media