Insurance companies and mutuals in New Zealand have announced several board appointments, bringing experience across financial services, general insurance, actuarial work, rural communities, and governance into their respective organisations.
MAS has appointed former ASB chief financial officer Jon Raby (pictured) to its board, effective August 26, 2026. Raby has more than 25 years’ experience in executive leadership across financial services organisations in New Zealand and Australia. He spent a decade as CFO of ASB Bank, where he was responsible for finance, treasury, capital management, and risk functions. His background also includes governance and advisory roles with the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association and SmartShares, where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. His governance experience covers banking, funds management, securities broking, insurance, property management, and high-technology manufacturing. Raby was named Deloitte Top 200 New Zealand CFO of the Year in 2018.
MAS chair Doug Hill said Raby’s financial governance and risk management experience would be relevant to the board’s work. “Jon brings extensive experience from senior roles across banking and financial services, with a strong track record of operating in complex environments and supporting organisations through periods of transformation. His depth of experience in financial governance, risk management, and strategic leadership will help support MAS’s ongoing focus to invest in the Member experience, while delivering strong financial returns and adding long-term Member value,” Hill said.
At MAS’s Annual General Meeting on August 26, members also formally approved Raby and Jennifer Lang as Commercial Trustees and Steve Merchant as Practitioner Trustee. Raby said MAS’s mutual structure and focus on members were among the factors behind his decision to join the board. “MAS stands out for its mutual structure and its long-term commitment to Members. That purpose-led approach is something I strongly support,” he said.
Tower Limited has appointed Jefferson Gibbs as an independent director, effective September 2, 2026, subject to completion of regulatory processes. Gibbs will fill a casual vacancy on the Tower board. He has more than 25 years’ experience in the general insurance sector and has held governance positions across financial services and professional services. His previous roles include board director, chair, and president of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia as well as director and chair of KPMG Financial Services Consulting Pty Ltd.
Tower chair Naomi Ballantyne said Gibbs’ background covered areas including risk, reinsurance, capital management, and financial governance. “Jefferson brings deep general insurance expertise, strong actuarial judgement and extensive governance experience across regulated financial services environments,” Ballantyne said. Tower’s board has determined that Gibbs is an independent director. Under rule 2.7.1 of the NZX Listing Rules, Gibbs will retire at Tower’s Annual Shareholder Meeting in February 2027 and will be eligible for re-election.
FMG has appointed North Canterbury dairy farmer Bex Green as an associate director on its board. Green and her husband, Blair, are contract milkers and farm shareholders based in Culverden. They milk 1,000 cows and have three children. Alongside farming, Green is president of Federated Farmers North Canterbury, national vice dairy chair, and chair of the Canterbury Regional Policy Committee. FMG board chair Sarah von Dadelszen said the appointment formed part of the mutual’s approach to building governance capability within the rural sector. “We’re delighted to welcome Bex to the FMG board as associate director. As an active farmer and rural leader, she brings valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges facing rural communities,” von Dadelszen said.
Green said FMG’s mutual structure was a factor in her decision to take up the role. “What really attracted me to FMG is that it’s a Mutual that was created by farmers for farmers. At the end of the day, every decision comes back to what’s best for its Members, and I think that’s something worth protecting and building on,” Green said. She said her approach to governance centred on understanding the issues affecting the people she represents. “I’ve always believed good governance starts with listening. Whether it’s through Federated Farmers or my community roles, my focus has always been on understanding the issues people are facing and helping find practical solutions,” she said. Green will attend her first official FMG board meeting in October. The associate director position is unpaid, with expenses covered, and does not carry voting rights on the board.
