Executive Leadership team

Tina Mitchell, Chief Executive

Our Chief Executive works with our Board, stakeholders and staff to deliver on our strategy.  She reports to Ministers and the public on the work of NHC Toka Tū Ake.

Tina has over 25 years’ experience leading, delivering and transforming professional services across a range of industries in both the public and private sectors including dispute resolution, policy, legal services, insurance and financial services.  Her mix of leadership, stakeholder engagement and operational experience complement the focus of NHC Toka Tū Ake on customers and partnering with the wider public and insurance sectors to reduce the impact of natural hazards on people and property.

Prior to taking on the Chief Executive role in January 2022, Tina was Chief Strategy Officer and oversaw the organisation's strategy, policy, government relations, communications, media, stakeholder engagement and legal services. During this time Tina also supported the development of our strategic direction, implementation of recommendations from the Public Inquiry into EQC and leading work to grow the cultural capability and understanding of te ao Māori at NHC Toka Tū Ake.

Before joining NHC Toka Tū Ake in 2019 (EQC as it was then), Tina was Deputy Banking Ombudsman where she was responsible for influencing policy development and customer education using lessons from complaints, and bringing the banking industry together to harness data insights. She also held various senior roles at ACC with a focus on supporting its transformation programme, as well as providing strategic policy and operations leadership. Tina’s passion for good customer outcomes was shaped by her early career working for the Health and Disability Commissioner and ten years in leading national law firms in New Zealand and Canada.

Kate Tod, Chief Readiness and Recovery Officer

Kate leads our Readiness and Recovery group, working with teams to build our readiness for natural hazard events and provide NHCover to homeowners.

This group ensures we’re ready to support Kiwi communities when a volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, or other natural hazard event occurs. It also supports the on-going delivery of the Natural Disaster Response Model, NHCover and resolving re-opened Canterbury claims with fair and enduring customer outcomes.

Kate has more than 20 years’ insurance experience, and was head of our Canterbury Claims teams for 18 months prior to stepping into the Chief Readiness and Recovery Officer role. She brings a depth of expertise and passion to her work that puts her in a great position to build on our work in establishing the natural disaster response model with our partners across the insurance sector.

Michala Beacham, Chief Strategy Officer

Michala leads our Strategy group, which includes strategy, policy, government relations, communications and engagement, and legal services. These functions support all areas of Toka Tū Ake NHC policy and drive government relations. In these roles she led the work within our organisation to deliver on its strategic direction, intent and outcomes.

Before stepping into the Chief Strategy Officer role, Michala led our all of organisation effort, including with external stakeholders, to modernise and implement our governing legislation, the Natural Hazards Insurance Act.

Michala has over twenty years’ experience in policy, leadership and governance roles across the core public service, Crown entities, and not-for-profit sectors both here and in the United Kingdom. 

Chris Chainey, Chief Financial Officer

Chris leads the Risk and Financing group to provide financial, risk and procurement expertise to the organisation as well as managing agreements with international reinsurers and Direct NHCover. He rejoined the organisation in December 2022, having previously been the Financial Controller and then Chief Financial Officer between 2012 and 2020. 

Chris has undertaken a range of senior leadership roles outside of NHC Toka Tū Ake including Chief Operating Officer for the Registered Master Builders Association, National Manager Finance and Procurement for Fire and Emergency New Zealand and a variety of finance roles for the Royal Bank of Scotland in the City of London prior to moving to New Zealand.

Chris brings a strong understanding of the organisation’s important risk financing work and has valuable relationships with related partners which position the Risk & Financing Group well in delivering the organisation’s risk financing strategy. He is passionate about the Risk and Financing functions working in a collaborative way with other parts of the organisation and partners to deliver on the strategic goals of NHC Toka Tū Ake.

Dr Jo Horrocks, Chief Resilience and Research Officer

Jo's team contributes to a programme of around $24 million investment in scientific data, research and education to help us better understand New Zealand’s natural hazards risks. 

Jo joined NHC Toka Tū Ake following 13 years in the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. There she led development of the National Disaster Resilience Strategy, as well as other strategic national policies and programmes.

Jo’s team help us understand New Zealand’s natural hazards risks better and take steps to reduce the impact of those risks. Everything from how house foundations on slopes behave in an earthquake, changes in a volcano’s plume that could indicate an eruption is coming, to technology for monitoring slow-moving urban landslides.

Jo is strongly motivated by tackling complex social issues and progressing improved outcomes for New Zealanders. Her future focus is ensuring scientific research results get to the right people making decisions on the policies and practices that make a difference for households and communities to translating science into easy-to-use knowledge for New Zealanders.

Rob Hodgson, Chief Data Officer

Rob leads the Data, Digital and Delivery Group at NHC Toka Tū Ake.  

The Data, Digital and Delivery Group is responsible for data engineering, actuarial services, risk modelling, loss modelling, analytics, IT operations and services, information security, information management, and enterprise portfolio management. 

Rob has extensive experience holding leadership positions in the policy, research and evaluation space. He joined the organisation in June 2022 from the Ministry of Social Development where he was Group General Manager Insights since 2016, leading their data and analytics function and heavily involved in broader organisational leadership and contributing to leadership across the Government’s data system. 

Rob brings a proven track record in improving decision making through the use of data and analytics to drive customer outcomes and organisational performance in a collaborative manner. He also has a keen focus on culture and capability development across the workforce.

Rob and his team continue to build on the excellent momentum NHC Toka Tū Ake has in becoming a more data-enabled organisation. The increased insurance information flowing in and out of the organisation through the National Disaster Response Model, the significant enterprise technology transformation and the on-going uplift in data capability are all examples of our progress in this journey.

Hamish Wall, Chief Performance and Improvement Officer

Hamish leads the Performance & Reporting Group, responsible for providing reporting, commercial and business improvement services to help with the settlement of claims.

The team also provides support with operational programme management to ensure resources, activities and capabilities are aligned to deliver against the organisational strategy.

Hamish has significant experience in providing strategic leadership and business transformation advice to a range of organisations throughout New Zealand. Prior to NHC Toka Tū Ake, Hamish worked as a management consultant at Deloitte and also held a number of senior roles in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

Hamish is passionate about providing rigorous, high quality reporting and process improvements that drive organisational performance. He is a Better Business Cases Registered Practitioner and a Member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand.

Pip Andrews, Head of On-Solds

Pip leads a team administering the Government's On-Sold Support Package, providing assistance for Canterbury homeowners.

After 15 years in the private insurance sector, Pip joined NHC Toka Tū Ake in 2019, bringing a strong background in people management. She has had a broad range of experience in the insurance industry across claims, underwriting and operations, having previously worked for TOWER as the Earthquake Operations Manager and more recently within the Vero Earthquake Recovery programme.

Pip is passionate about people, fostering an excellent team culture which drives delivery of positive outcomes for homeowners.

Catherine Taylor, Chief People Officer

Catherine Taylor joined NHC Toka Tū Ake in late 2023, initially as Acting Chief People Officer, responsible for the ongoing development and implementation of the People Strategy and leading the People, Culture and Capability function.

She has deep experience leading, building, and improving people functions, people strategy, people programmes and processes that make a real difference to organisations and their customers through their people and great culture.

Catherine has broad business experience in financial services, insurance, government, manufacturing, and professional services sectors including enterprise senior leadership experience. She is also an experienced Non-Executive Director.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Otago University, is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, a Chartered Fellow (CFHRNZ) of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRNZ) and was a previous winner of the HRNZ HR Person of the Year.

Zoe Morley, Director, Office of the Chief Executive

Zoe supports the Chief Executive to deliver on NHC Toka Tū Ake strategy by working with Board, stakeholders and the ELT, providing strategic, organisational and operational advice.

Prior to joining NHC Toka Tū Ake, Zoe held various insurance and financial services leadership roles across strategy, technology and operations, both here and in the UK.

She has a deep understanding of the insurance value chain, insurance product design, service design, and the effective use of data and technology for service provision and governance.

Zoe has been instrumental in a number of innovations across the New Zealand insurance industry, including the NHC Toka Tū Ake inaugural catastrophe bond.

Zoe is passionate about the role insurance and reinsurance plays in allowing New Zealanders to embrace living alongside the natural hazards we experience.