#196: Emma Thomas - CEO of Achmea Farm Insurance Australia - climate risk, farmers, New Zealand roots, leadership, and building a fast-growing insurer

About this episode

Emma Thomas discusses her journey as CEO of Achmea Farm Insurance and her insights on leadership and climate risk in agriculture.

Emma Thomas has been CEO of Achmea Farm Insurance in Australia since April 2017. She leads the Executive Leadership Team and oversees Strategy and People and Culture, with a clear focus on Achmea’s mission: keeping farmers farming. Under her leadership, the specialist agricultural insurer has grown from a start up challenger into a major player in the Australian market, with consistent double digit growth. Emma grew up in New Zealand with strong farming roots, from her grandparents’ Merino sheep farm in Central Otago to her parents’ deer and sheep farm in Riverton, Southland. She spent a lot of time helping on the farm while studying and starting her career in accounting and insurance. Before moving to Australia, she and her husband also raised their children on a small sheep and horse lifestyle farm on the Kapiti Coast. She studied commerce at the University of Otago and began her career in audit at a big four firm in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. She later held an executive role at an IT solutions company, then spent a decade in senior leadership at FMG (Farmers Mutual Group) before joining Achmea. She now lives in Sydney with her husband and two children…

People in this episode

Guest: Emma Thomas

Topics covered

• climate risk
• leadership
• agriculture
• insurance
• personal background

Keywords

• Emma Thomas
• Achmea Farm Insurance
• climate risk
• leadership
• agriculture
• New Zealand
• insurance

Sponsors

EY, Mogelijk Vastgoedfinancieringen, Lepaya

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Achmea Farm Insurance, FMG (Farmers Mutual Group)

Books & works: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Belonging

Places: Australia, New Zealand, Central Otago, Riverton, Kapiti Coast

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