Insurance Business New Zealand (IBNZ) has named two of Tower’s leaders in the inaugural Elite Women list, designed to spotlight women leaders who are making their voices heard, in what was once a male-dominated industry.
Paula ter Brake, Chief Risk Officer and Managing Director Pacific, and Sarah-Jane Wild, Head of Partnerships, have both been commended for their outstanding performance in the business and contribution to the insurance industry.
Tower CEO Blair Turnbull says ter Brake and Wild are an inspiration.
“They exemplify our values and are always thinking ahead on behalf of Tower’s customers. Of course, we’ve always known how exceptional Paula and Sarah-Jane both are, but to have them named as some of the top industry leaders in Aotearoa is a well-earned accolade.
“At Tower, we understand our people are the ultimate drivers of our success and we are committed to supporting our talent progress their careers with us in a way where they can feel valued.”
With a double portfolio role as the Managing Director of Tower Pacific and the Chief Risk Officer for Tower Insurance, ter Brake’s role includes running Tower’s Pacific entities, as well as its risk, compliance, internal audit, legal and governance functions.
Her career is truly fitting of the title ‘trailblazer’. At just 19 years old, ter Brake was fast-tracked into a satellite branch manager role in retail banking and by 30, she was GE Money Global Mortgage Distribution Leader, with a remit for 41 countries.
Recently she led Tower’s strategic acquisition of National Pacific Insurance (NPI) and is now overseeing the launch of the Pacific Islands’ first fully optimised digital sales and service solution.
Wild is Head of Partnerships at Tower Insurance. She has been responsible for the on-boarding of several new partnerships that have increased Tower Insurance’s visibility in the market, with creative solutions to better help New Zealanders access insurance.
Wild started her career as an insurance consultant and has previously held roles with Tower in the Pacific as General Manager Fiji – the first ever female GM of an insurance business in Fiji - and Head of Pacific Operations. She was also the first female chair of the Insurance Council of Fiji and is currently the chair of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Company.
Featuring just 19 women from throughout New Zealand’s insurance industry, Insurance Business, Global Editor Paul Lucas congratulated ter Brake and Wild, on making IBNZ’s Elite Women 2022 list.
"They’ve demonstrated so much passion about the industry and have been vital to so many of the initiatives that Tower Insurance has successfully rolled out over the last year. Their nominations really stood out, and I'm most impressed about their selfless attitude. It's clear how motivated Paula and Sarah Jane are to put the business, their colleagues and the wider industry first."
Tower operates in New Zealand and across eight pacific nations, supporting over 300,000 customers. Tower accounts for 9.3% of the market share in the New Zealand insurance market. They currently offer a range of products across the car, house, contents, property owner, pet, boat, travel and business insurance segments.
The full list of 2022 Insurance Business New Zealand Elite Women winners can be found here: