Tower Limited has appointed Carly Orr as (pictured) chief people officer, effective February 2026, a senior leadership role with responsibility for the insurer’s people strategy and organisational settings.
In the role, Orr will oversee culture, leadership development, workforce planning, and wider people initiatives across the organisation. The position sits alongside Tower’s efforts to increase its use of digital platforms and data-led underwriting in core operations. Orr has held senior people and culture roles in telecommunications, banking, and insurance. She most recently served as chief people and communities officer at Fidelity Life, where she worked with the executive team on organisational culture, leadership capability, and programmes related to inclusion.
Tower chief executive Paul Johnston said the appointment is intended to support the insurer’s next phase of organisational development. “Culture is central to how we deliver for customers and achieve long-term success. We’re striving to build a team and an environment that empowers every team member to bring their best ideas forward and focus on what matters most to customers – fair and transparent pricing, simple and rewarding experiences, and care when it counts. Carly’s experience and leadership will help us embed these values and shape a workplace where teams can excel,” Johnston said.
Orr will lead programmes aimed at changing aspects of Tower’s culture, expanding leadership capability, and adjusting employee-facing practices. The remit includes supporting teams as Tower invests in digital tools, automation, and changes to customer service, claims, and policy servicing. Commenting on her appointment, Orr said: “I have long admired Tower for its strong customer focus and leadership in digital innovation. I feel privileged to join such a well-respected, thriving, locally-owned company. Tower’s combination of a truly diverse culture, and appetite for technological advancement, creates an exciting environment where people can thrive personally, and deliver great outcomes for customers.”
The appointment comes as Tower continues to reshape its operating model and reports stronger financial performance. For the year ended Sept. 30, 2025 (FY25), Tower reported underlying net profit after tax of $107.2 million, up from $83.5 million in FY24, and reported profit of $83.7 million, compared with $74.3 million a year earlier. The insurer attributed the outcome to lower large event costs, a reduced business-as-usual (BAU) claims ratio, and growth in customer numbers. Reported profit includes adjustments for higher estimated costs linked to Canterbury earthquake claims, ongoing customer remediation work, and a provision for software impairment.
Key FY25 figures included gross written premium of $600 million, an increase of 2%; customer numbers up 4% to 318,000; a BAU claims ratio of 41%, down from 48%; and a combined operating ratio of 74.1%, compared with 79% in FY24. The management expense ratio remained at 31.4%. Tower’s board declared a fully imputed final dividend of 16.5 cents per share, taking total dividends for FY25 to 24.5 cents per share.
