AA Insurance’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle James to the role of Chief
Executive Officer, effective February 2023.
Michelle James joins AA Insurance from six years at Tower, where she is currently part of the executive leadership team.
Ms James has held a variety of executive portfolios at Tower including strategy, customer experience, transformation and
most recently leading Tower’s Direct and Digital business.
AA Insurance Board Chair Doug McTaggart said, “We are delighted to confirm Michelle as AA Insurance’s next Chief
Executive Officer.
“Michelle is a highly experienced senior executive with a proven track record in delivering innovative customer
experiences in a range of sectors on both sides of the Tasman.
“The appointment of Michelle will enable AA Insurance to build on its outstanding reputation as a trusted insurer
committed to going above and beyond for its customers, people and communities,” said McTaggart.
Michelle James said, “I am excited to step into this role at such a pivotal time for the insurance industry. I look
forward to working with the AA Insurance team to build on its success and contribute further to an industry that plays
such a critical role in the lives and wellbeing of New Zealanders.”
Ms James takes over from Chris Curtin, who earlier this year announced his retirement after serving as Chief Executive Officer of AA Insurance for 28 years.
The Board wishes to acknowledge and thank Simon Hobbs for assisting the business as Acting CEO over the past year. Simon
will return to the role of General Manager, Operations in February 2023.About Michelle James
Michelle has 20 years’ experience in executive and senior leadership roles on both sides of the Tasman, specialising in
transformation and the creation of innovative customer and digital experiences. Michelle has held a number of executive
portfolios at Tower including strategy, customer experience, transformation and most recently leading Tower’s Direct and
Digital business. Prior to Tower, Michelle was an executive of Spark Digital where she was responsible for the
organisation’s turnaround programme. During her 12 years in Australia, Michelle held several senior customer and product
leadership roles at Telstra Corporation, leading significant cross company transformation and simplification programmes.