Crawford & Company Management Team

Dean Garrod, Chief Executive

Peter Ziegler, Head of Specialist Services - New Zealand

Peter is a Chartered Loss Adjuster with 24 years' experience in Loss Adjusting in both New Zealand and Australia, following underwriting roles in the insurance industry. He specialises in Catastrophe Response, Commercial Property, Contract Works, Major Loss, and Liability claims. He advises on issues arising from losses involving Product Recall, Public and Products Liability, Construction Liabilities, Professional Indemnity, and Major Property Damage, as well as providing litigation support for these claims.

Graham Spencer, Chief Information Officer

Being involved in Information Technology since 1978, Graham has worked in a variety of verticals including Broadcasting, Retail and IT Services before recently joining Crawford & Company. Graham has previously had roles in Infrastructure Management, Architecture and Strategy Planning as well as Operational Support and general IT Management.

Ian Hempleman, Chief Financial Officer

Ian has previously held senior financial roles in Europe and New Zealand, with his most recent CFO role being NZME in Auckland. More recently, Ian has worked with our Crawford Forensic Accounting Services team (CFAS). Ian brings a wealth of experience in Corporate Finance into the CFO role.

Steve Newman, General Manager - Network and Operations

With the insurance industry since 1996, Steve was previously Claims Services Executive Manager at Vero before joining Crawford in 2014. Prior to be appointed to the General Manager - Network and Operations in 2018, Steve had been running various earthquake related projects in Canterbury as well as business development and improvement initiatives.

Diana Vercoe, Manager - People and Process

With the insurance industry since 2011, Diana plays a pivotal role in developing policy and procedure to support our People and the way they operate. In addition, she acts as a conduit between the business units to ensure continued process adherence and improvment. Diana has a BA in Political Science and History and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Administration. Diana started working at Crawford & Company in 2011 after returning to New Zealand from the United Kingdom.

Gillian Jacobsen - National Customer Solutions Manager

With the Insurance industry since 1989, Gillian has been a Loss Adjuster since 2003. Gillian is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance and specialises in Commercial Property and Fidelity claims.

Kristen Harris - Regional Manager - Northern

With the Insurance industry since 1988, Kristen has been a Loss Adjuster since 2003. She is a Senior Associate of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance. She specialises in Commercial Property, Contract Words, Products and Public Liability, Residential Major Loss and Marine Transit.

Dennis Petersen - Regional Manager - Southern

Dennis has worked in the insurance industry since 2012 and he has over 30 years of management experience with a variety of organisations in New Zealand and overseas. He has business qualifications through Massey University and a background in human resource and telecommunication management.

Mathew Hessian - Head of Strategic Partnerships

Working with insurance claims both in New Zealand and internationally since 1993, Mathew has significant experience in the field of Loss Adjusting and as a Senior Claims Manager. Throughout his career he has developed a wealth of experience in managing Property, Construction, Energy and Power losses in New Zealand, Australia, UK, Caribbean and across the Asia Pacific region. Mathew has also led and participated in many catastrophe response teams in those areas including effectively leading the 2011 Christchurch EQ response for one NZ based Insurer. In addition to his claims handling expertise, Mathew has a proven ability to maintain a client focus in complex claims, identify the key issues, and work through strategies with multiple parties to achieve suitable outcomes for all stakeholders. In his work both in NZ, Australia and Internationally, he has developed a strong reputation amongst Insurers, Brokers, and Clients alike for being an effective claims professional with a proven track record in settling claims across a broad range of classes.

Richard Nicholson - Chief Strategy and Innovations Officer