Our People

Dame Theresa was appointed as an Independent Director and Chair of the AIA New Zealand Limited Board of Directors in July 2018, when AIA Group completed its acquisition of Sovereign Assurance Company Limited.  

Dame Theresa was previously an independent Director of AIA Australia and served as Chair of the AIA Australia Board from 2010 until 2021. 

From October 1999 to June 2007, Dame Theresa was the CEO and Managing Director of Telecom New Zealand, where she led the company through world-changing technology developments. 

Dame Theresa is the co-founder of the very successful start-up My Food Bag, is currently Chair Tend, Chair Global Women and a member of the National Advisory Board on the Employment of Women.  

She has many not-for-profit and philanthropic interests including being on the Global Board of World Pulse, co-founder and trustee of the World Women Charitable Trust and Patron of the Cambodia Charitable Trust. 

In 2021 she funded the Theresa Gattung Chair of Women in Entrepreneurship within the University of Auckland Business School and launched the Gattung Foundation whose main charitable purposes are to support the relief of poverty, the education and advancement of women, Māori, and Pasifika to reduce inequality and the care, support and protection of animals.

In the 2015 New Year’s Honours List, Dame Theresa was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy, and in August that year she was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame at the TVNZ Marketing Awards.  

In 2017 she was named the inaugural winner of the NEXT Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award and in September 2018 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the Westpac Women of Influence Awards. 

In February 2019 she was inducted into the RNZSPCA Hall of Fame. 

In 2021 she was inducted into The New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs and given the Inaugural NZ Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award for her trailblazing leadership and empowerment of women by UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand.  

Dame Theresa Gattung was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024 for services to women, governance and philanthropy.

Biswa Misra is Group Chief Technology and Life Operations Officer of AIA Group Limited.

Biswa is responsible for providing leadership to the Group’s technology, digital, analytics, life operations and Operations Shared Services. He is also responsible for the Group's business operating in New Zealand. He is a director of various companies within the Group. He joined the Group in June 2013.

Prior to joining the Group, Biswa served as the Regional Chief Technology Officer for ING Insurance Asia Pacific. Previously, he spent six years with information technology consulting firm Capgemini, leading the company’s insurance practice for Asia.

Biswa holds a degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat, India.

As CEO for AIA New Zealand, Nick is proud to lead a passionate team with the dream of making New Zealand one of the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.

With 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, Nick has held a diverse range of senior leadership roles in New Zealand, including CEO at Sovereign prior to the acquisition by AIA and Executive General Manager of Wealth & Insurance at ASB Bank Limited. Earlier in his career Nick held a variety of key leadership roles within ASB including General Manager Corporate Banking and Working Capital Services, General Manager Business Banking and General Manager of Business Banking and Retail Specialist Services.

Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Nick is married with two daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys keeping active, is a keen cyclist and gym goer and has competed in triathlons and Ironman events.

Ms. Jayne Plunkett is the Group Chief Risk Officer responsible for the Group’s risk and compliance functions. She is also a director of various companies within the Group, including AIA Co., AIA Singapore Private Limited and AIA Philippines Life and General Insurance Company Inc. (formerly known as The Philippine American Life and General Insurance (PHILAM LIFE) Company).

Ms. Plunkett joined AIA in November 2019 from Swiss Re, where she was most recently Chief Executive Officer Reinsurance Asia, Regional President Asia and member of the Group Executive Committee. During her time with Swiss Re, she held several senior positions, including Division Head Casualty Reinsurance and Head of Casualty Underwriting for Asia. Prior to that, she was with GE Insurance Solutions. Ms. Plunkett holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drake University. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA).

Dame Paula Rebstock was appointed to the AIA New Zealand Limited Board of Directors in February 2022.

Dame Paula is a leading Auckland-based economist and company director, with extensive professional experience in corporate and public services governance.

Dame Paula is a former Chair of the New Zealand Commerce Commission and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), and has served as a Deputy Chair of KiwiRail, and a Director of Auckland Transport.

Dame Paula holds a range of current directorships including serving as Chair of Asia Pacific Healthcare Group and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia; and as Deputy Chair of Vector. She is also a Director of the NZX, and of On Being Bold.

Dame Paula Rebstock was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for services to the State and also holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the London School of Economics.

Tracey Cross is a Legal and Business Adviser with substantial experience in the financial services industry spanning more than 25 years. She was appointed to the AIA New Zealand Limited Board of Directors in August 2019 and chairs the Board's ESG Committee. 

Tracey is passionate about governing for purpose, good conduct, and the importance of culture and purpose as being key to competitive and sustainable business. Tracey is a champion for diversity, empowerment, and raising the financial wellbeing of women. She is co-Chair and founding member of the Financial Services Council’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and is an independent Director of Mint Asset Management Limited (chairing its Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee) and Tony Mounce Mortgages Limited.

Tracey Cross is a former partner of global law firm DLA Piper which she joined in 2001, leading its Auckland financial services team for over 20 years.

During her time at DLA Piper Tracey worked extensively to lead the firm’s conduct and culture initiative, bringing best practice and insights to clients, and advising Boards and senior management.   

Tracey has an LLB from Victoria University and is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand. 

Michele is an experienced Chair and Board Member for multiple private, not for profit, and public sector entities. Throughout her career Michele has been motivated to serve in the public interest – including overseeing the establishment and monitoring of New Zealand's external reporting framework, advocating for diverse and inclusive leadership and more recently rising to the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change and sustainability concerns.

She is Chair of the External Reporting Board (XRB). Other governance roles include Transpower New Zealand, Toitū Tahua – The Centre for Sustainable Finance, the Australian Financial Reporting Council, and the University of Auckland’s Business School Advisory Board.

Michele served as Chair of PwC in New Zealand from 2016 to 2020, was a partner for 15 years and held numerous leadership, executive and governance roles within PwC in New Zealand and Asia.

Michele is committed to growing diverse and inclusive leadership for the benefit of Aotearoa New Zealand. She served as Co-Chair of Champions for Change from 2018 to 2020 and from 2011 to 2018 was a board member and Deputy Chair of Global Women.

She is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a former member of their Nominations and Governance Committee.