New board chairperson at Accuro

Accuro has appointed a new board chairperson to replace Tony Haycock who has retired from his position.

Tuesday, December 14th 2021, 11:49AM

Richard Kirkland (left) and Marion Guy.

The not-for-profit Kiwi health insurer, which also celebrated its 50th year in business in 2021, has replaced Haycock with his former deputy chairperson Marion Guy.

Haycock spent nine years on the board at Accuro, five of those as chairperson.

Richard Kirkland, an experienced governance and risk practitioner, has also been appointed as a new director.

“The last nine years has been a very rewarding journey,” says Haycock.

“I am leaving Accuro at a time when it is in great shape. We have carved out a strong point of difference and continue to innovate.

"Membership has grown above industry norms, based on great service and a desire to always do the best for our members - something which is reflected in our consistently high levels of customer satisfaction.”

Guy is a registered nurse with three decades of health sector and governance experience and has been on the board since 2016.

“It’s an exciting time to be leading New Zealand’s best little health insurer as we continue to implement new initiatives and technology to deliver even higher levels of member service and face the challenges ahead,” she says.

Kirkland says he's delighted to be on the board and is a big believer in the member ownership model at Accuro.

"The ‘client first’ as a distinct foundation gives mutuals a significant edge over shareholder owned businesses,” he says.

With a mix of medical, financial services and governance experience on the board, Guy says it has an excellent blend of expertise to steer the health insurer into the future.

“Accuro staff have worked incredibly well through Covid lockdowns, which continue to impact the medical treatment plans for some of our members,” she says.

“The board is looking forward to working with the team as Accuro develops its new IT system and addresses complex issues such as cyber resilience and regulatory changes within the financial services industry.”

Tags: Accuro insurance Insurance People