Executive Leadership team
The EQC Toka Tū Ake Executive Leadership Team is based in Wellington and Christchurch. Find information about expense disclosure here.
Tina Mitchell, Chief Executive
Our Chief Executive works with our Board, stakeholders and staff to deliver on Toka Tū Ake EQC’s strategy. She reports to Ministers and the public on Toka Tū Ake EQC’s work.
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 Toka Tū Ake EQC’s focus 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 Toka Tū Ake EQC’s strategy, policy, government relations, communications, media, stakeholder engagement and legal services. During this time Tina also supported the development of Toka Tū Ake EQC's strategic direction, implementation of recommendations from the Public Inquiry into EQC and leading work to grow Toka Tū Ake EQC’s cultural capability and understanding of te ao Māori.
Before joining Toka Tū Ake EQC in 2019, 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 EQCover 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, EQCover and resolving re-opened Canterbury claims with fair and enduring customer outcomes.
Kate has more than 20 years’ insurance experience, and has been head of Toka Tū Ake EQC’s Canterbury Claims teams for the past 18 months, delivering strong claims resolution for our customers. 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, Director Natural Hazards Insurance Act
Michala is leading our all of organisation effort, including with external stakeholders, to implement the Natural Hazards Insurance Act by 1 July 2024.
Prior to her appointment as Director NHI Act, Michala worked as Acting Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Policy and Government Relations. In these roles she led the work within Toka Tū Ake EQC to support the modernisation of our governing legislation.
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 EQCover. He re-joined Toka Tū Ake EQC in December 2022, having previously been the Financial Controller and then Chief Financial Officer of the organisation between 2012 and 2020.
Chris has undertaken a range of senior leadership roles outside of Toka Tū Ake EQC 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 Toka Tū Ake EQC’s strategic goals.
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 Toka Tū Ake EQC from 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 and Acting Chief Strategy Officer
Rob leads both the Data & Information Technology Group, and the Strategy Group at Toka Tu Ake EQC (in an acting capacity).
The Data & Information Technology 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 and his team continue to build on the excellent momentum Toka Tū Ake EQC has in becoming a more data-centric 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 of our data capability are all examples of our progress in this journey.
Rob also leads the Strategy Group, which includes strategy, policy, government relations, communications and engagement, and legal services. These functions support all areas of Toka Tū Ake EQC and drive the organisation to deliver on its strategic direction, intent and outcomes.
Rob has extensive experience holding leadership positions in the policy, research and evaluation space. He joined Toka Tū Ake 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 Toka Tū Ake EQC has in becoming a more data-centric 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 Toka Tū Ake EQC’s data capability are all examples of our progress in this journey.
Hamish Wall, Strategic Advisor to the Chief Executive
Hamish is the Strategic Advisor to the Chief Executive responsible for the provision of executive leadership support and strategic advisory services on the delivery of Toka Tū Ake EQC strategic priorities and objectives.
Hamish has significant experience in providing strategic leadership and business transformation advice to a range of organisations throughout New Zealand. Prior to Toka Tū Ake EQC, Hamish previously worked as a management consultant Deloitte and has 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 On-Sold Government Support Package, providing assistance for Canterbury homeowners.
After 15 years in the private insurance sector, Pip joined Toka Tū Ake EQC 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.
Saane Havea, Acting Head of Performance and Reporting
Saane leads the Performance & Reporting team, 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.
Saane is an effective leader bringing forth valuable industry experience, with 10 years of leadership experience and a passion for people and management.
Saane’s leadership style is grounded in her Tongan values:
- Faka'apa'apa - Respect
- Lototō – Humility
- Mamahi’i me’a - Loyalty and commitment
- Ngaue fakataha, Tauhi Va & Fetokoni’aki - Sharing, cooperating, and maintaining good relationships
Saane is results oriented with a proven track record of improving overall operations within the organisation or business function.
Catherine Taylor, Acting Chief People Officer
Catherine Taylor joined Toka Tū Ake EQC late 2023 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.