IAG NZ’s General Counsel and Executive General Manager External Relations, Blair Williams, has been jointly awarded the
Insurance Leader of the Year Award at the New Zealand Insurance Awards, hosted by ANZIFF, the Australian and New Zealand
Institute of Insurance and Finance.
Mr Williams has been recognised for his leadership role in driving the Natural Disaster Response Model (NDRM) to
fruition.
The NDRM has improved outcomes for Kiwis affected by natural disasters, giving customers a single point of contact and a
more seamless experience. Under the NDRM, anyone with home insurance, whose home or land is damaged in a natural
disaster, now only needs to lodge one claim with their insurer. They no longer need to lodge a claim with the Earthquake
Commission (EQC). Insurers are responsible for managing all such claims to completion, including any portion which is
the responsibility of EQC.
Mr Williams says, “It is an honour to accept this award on behalf of the broader IAG team, who have worked tirelessly to
drive these changes and transition our business and industry to the new natural disaster response model.
“IAG has been helping Kiwis recover from natural disasters for many decades. We know all too well that when disaster
strikes, our customers simply want the information and support they need to put their lives back together as quickly as
possible.
“Our team has worked closely with EQC, Insurance Council of New Zealand and the broader insurance industry to drive
these changes because our people and customers have told us, time and again, that dealing with multiple agencies to
settle insurance claims adds complexity and pain points to the total recovery process.
“While we hope most New Zealanders will never need to experience the new model first-hand, we know that if they do, this
successful industry-wide effort has delivered a system that will help make their recovery experience as seamless as
possible.”
Mr Williams was jointly awarded Insurance Leader of the Year alongside Sid Miller (CEO, EQC); Jimmy Higgins (CEO, Vero)
and Campbell Stewart (Vero).