Riddle led JLT New Zealand as chief executive from 2010 until the firm's acquisition by Marsh McLennan in 2019, bringing more than 30 years of broking and underwriting experience across the New Zealand market. He has served as executive chairman since the merger completed.
Ferrier joined Marsh NZ in early 2024 from AIG New Zealand, where she was chief executive, leading the local operation for close to three years before her planned departure.
Riddle is not a neutral caretaker. He led the business that became Marsh NZ through the acquisition that created it, which means he carries an institutional understanding of how the combined operation was built and where its internal tensions have historically sat. For a business that absorbed a long-standing independent broker into a global platform, that lineage is specific knowledge - not simply seniority.
The interim appointment signals continuity of market relationships and underwriting access rather than a shift in strategic direction. A permanent successor search is underway, and the choice of someone with Riddle's particular history at the top of the business during that process tells the market something about what Marsh Pacific is looking for in whoever follows.
David Bryant, chief executive of Marsh Pacific, said the New Zealand business has strong foundations and is well-positioned for growth.
