Press release
29 May 2000
NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT SIMPSON GRIERSON
Leading law firm Simpson Grierson has appointed Martin Wylie as Chief Executive.
In this role, Mr Wylie will work closely with Simpson Grierson’s Board, partners and senior management team to develop
and implement the firm’s strategic and business plans.
Before joining Simpson Grierson, Mr Wylie was a self-employed business consultant, where he worked on a range of
projects including putting together a venture capital fund and working on a growth and acquisition strategy in the New
Zealand health insurance sector. His latest project took him to Lesotho in Southern Africa, where he was working on a
World Bank project to improve the financial and operating performance of the Lesotho Telecommunications Company before
privatisation and managing the sale of shares in the Lesotho cellular telephone company.
Mr Wylie was Group Managing Director of Aetna Health (NZ) for almost three years, where he was responsible for setting
the strategic direction and delivering the agreed operating performance of the second largest health insurer and only
full managed-care operator in New Zealand.
Prior to his role at Aetna, Mr Wylie was the Company Secretary of Telecom New Zealand for nine years. He played a key
role in developing and implementing all major strategic initiatives, including the formation of Telecom as a state owned
enterprise, purchasing its assets from the Crown, deregulating the telecommunications market, listing on the New York
and Australian Stock Exchanges, and negotiating the first interconnection agreements.
“Mr Wylie’s depth of experience across a wide range of highly competitive industries, coupled with his training as a
lawyer, provide him with the understanding, skills and vision to add real value to the future of Simpson Grierson,” said
Simpson Grierson’s Chairman of the Board, Mr Rob Fisher.
“Simpson Grierson has a great reputation, profile and presence in the New Zealand market. It needs to continue to
building on this in order to meet the needs of its national and multinational clients,” said Mr Wylie. ” This will mean
ensuring we retain the best possible staff and partners, while capitalising on the huge opportunities that electronic
commerce presents.”
“Partnering with our clients is the likely future of the sector,” he said. “This will demand continuing to work closely
with our clients to ensure we have an even better understanding of their needs and strategic direction.”
Mr Wylie is a qualified lawyer and is an Associated Member of the Institute of Corporate Managers.
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For further information, please contact:
Andrea Parker
Public Relations Manager
Simpson Grierson
Ph: (09) 374 0138
E-mail: agp@sglaw.co.nz