Kia ora koutou katoa, A new year is almost upon us, and while there is plenty to be positive about, the rural sector is also facing its share of challenges right now. We have heard the high level of concern from our Members regarding the Government’s proposal arising out of the He Waka Eke Noa process, and the potential wide-ranging impacts on rural Aotearoa New Zealand.
Given this and in the interests of our vision to help build strong and prosperous rural communities, in consultation with the Board, we felt it appropriate to share these concerns in a submission on the proposals. You can read the submission at fmg.co.nz/hewakaekenoa
In an increasingly complex world, it’s important to ensure you’re receiving good advice and strong support. FMG is here to help you manage the risks you and your business face so you can get on with life and have peace of mind that you’re covered should anything go wrong. As Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest and largest rural insurer, we understand rural risks better than most with access to a unique set of data and insights. This provides us with a wealth of knowledge that backs up our advice proposition to assist you with building a more resilient business.
Advice is an integral part of what we do as a mutual, focused on being here for the good of the country. Being New Zealand-owned and operated ensures that we make decisions based on what’s good for rural New Zealand. Our goal is to reduce disruption for our clients and in doing so, assist you in achieving your goals and aspirations. I recently had the privilege of attending the ICMIF (International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation) Centenary Conference where the theme was ‘Leading with purpose and impact’. It was inspiring and humbling to learn from many like-minded, purpose-led insurers from around the globe, with most having a long and proud history of serving Members, clients and their local communities. FMG is held in high regard across ICMIF, and whilst we may not be the largest rural mutual insurer, we certainly contribute beyond our size thanks to the relationships we have built over the years.
Building relationships is a fundamental part of what we do at FMG, that’s why we remain committed to on-farm conversations. They help us to understand your challenges and the risks you face so we can provide you with leading risk-advice tailored to your needs. We’re always looking for ways to help you improve how you manage risk. It’s at the core of who we are and what we do. As technology becomes an increasingly larger part of our lives, we are also committed to researching new technology and analytics tools to help ensure our advice remains current and consistent with best practice.
We remain focused on finding ways to help make your life easier, such as innovations like FMG Connect, (now with 50,000 registered clients) and the work we do with our strategic partners. Through such innovation and collaboration we seek to understand and stay ahead of risks on the horizon so that we can help you manage them better. During our 117-year history, FMG has earned a reputation for building strong relationships and partnerships, enabling us to manage risk together with our Members and clients so that we can be there when you need us.
At FMG our purpose is to provide a better deal for rural New Zealand. We do so through the provision of intelligent and tailored risk management information and solutions, in a way that is unique to FMG. It’s always important to remember that whatever happens - we’re in it together.
Kind regards / Ngā mihi,
Adam Heath Chief Executive, FMG
