Media leak forces IAG NZ to unveil chief executive Amanda Whiting’s upcoming departure

IAG New Zealand chief executive Amanda Whiting says it will be "business as usual" until her replacement is found.

IAG has been forced to announce news of its New Zealand chief executive’s upcoming departure, after Australian media revealed the insurance giant was scouting for a replacement.

Amanda Whiting will return home to Australia but continue being IAG’s NZ chief executive until a new person is appointed.

In an email sent to staff this morning, Whiting said she was moving to Sydney for family reasons.

“This will no doubt come as a shock and it’s probably not how I would have liked to have shared the news, but it was broken in the AU media late yesterday,” Whiting said.

“The key message is that I’m still leading the business and will be in NZ when needed … it’s business as usual for now.”

IAG (Insurance Australian Group) is NZ’s largest general insurer. It trades under the AMI, State, NZI, NAC, Lumley and Lantern brands, and provides products sold by ASB, BNZ, Westpac and The Co-operative Bank.

Last night, the Australian Financial Review published an article saying recruitment firm, Egon Zehnder, was sounding out potential external and internal candidates to run the insurer’s NZ business.

The publication said it got word of the news from “sources with knowledge of the process”.

Whiting was appointed chief executive in July 2021, having joined IAG in 2008.

The company didn’t specify whether Whiting would move into a new role at IAG in Australia, or leave the insurer.

IAG group chief executive Nick Hawkins told staff Whiting’s decision to return to Australia was “carefully thought-out”.

“She is an integral member of my leadership team and is highly regarded in the NZ market and by her team,” he said.

“For now, Amanda will continue to lead our NZ business with the same dedication and focus as always and, at the right time, will play a key role in the smooth transition to new leadership, as she returns to Australia.”

Jenée Tibshraeny is the Herald’s Wellington business editor, based in the parliamentary press gallery. She specialises in government and Reserve Bank policymaking, economics and banking.

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