Lavinia Taylor is guided by whakapapa (ancestral connection) to lead with purpose

For International Women’s Day 2026, Lavinia Taylor, Māori Engagement Manager at IAG New Zealand, introduced herself in te reo Māori, the Māori language.

“Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Lavinia tōku ingoa, he uri tēnei nō Ngāpuhi, Ngā Rauru me Ngāti Tūwharetoa. I whānau mai au ki Poihākena ki Ahitereiria, i tipu ake au kei reira hoki.”

“Greetings to you all. My name is Lavinia. I am a descendant of Ngāpuhi, Ngā Rauru and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. I was born in Sydney, Australia, and I was raised there as well.”

Over two decades in insurance, Taylor has moved across claims and underwriting, led teams, supported core operations, strengthened community collaboration and built cultural capability within one of New Zealand’s largest insurers.

She has completed a Certificate and Diploma in Financial Services (General Insurance) with ANZIIF, recently earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Business from the University of Auckland in 2024, and continues working toward ANZIIF Fellowship requirements.

Today, as Māori Engagement Manager at IAG New Zealand, she works at the intersection of community, culture and corporate responsibility; ensuring that insurance, at its best, reflects collective care.

A journey across countries and cultures

Taylor recounts that her parents were part of the wave of Māori who left Aotearoa in the 1970s. She and her siblings were born and raised in Sydney.

“I’m grateful for the opportunities that came with that upbringing, however, it also meant I didn’t grow up connected to my Māoritanga, my Māori identity,” Taylor tells.

That changed when she returned to Aotearoa New Zealand towards the end of high school. It was then that she began learning te reo Māori (the Māori language), tikanga Māori (Māori customs and protocols) and te ao Māori (the Māori worldview) alongside her whānau (family), hapū (sub-tribe) and iwi (tribe).

“For me, the importance of pursuing this initially was for my tamariki, my children,” she explains.

Taylor’s children are now 25, 23, 16 and 8. Her eldest daughter has recently relocated to Brisbane, reflecting the circular migration story that shaped her own beginnings.

Becoming a mother at a young age did not interrupt Taylor’s education. She completed high school through correspondence, studied while working and kept moving forward.

“My journey across two countries and through reconnection has shaped both the person and the professional that I am today,” she says.

That reconnection now informs her work at the national level.

Finding a place in insurance

Taylor joined the insurance industry in 2003. “The how is not as insightful as the more interesting question of why I stayed,” she relates.

“Like many, I started in this industry in pursuit of employment. What kept me was the breadth of the sector.”

Taylor says insurance offered something she values: continual learning and practical impact.

“There is always something new to learn, a variety of roles to experience, and so many parts of the industry that fascinated me - from claims and underwriting to leading teams, and eventually functions that support our core operations, including community collaboration,” she says.

“The constant learning and the ability to make a real difference for customers keeps me here in a role I genuinely enjoy.”

Taylor’s early career at Lumley exposed her to strong female leadership at a time when few women led the industry. Women such as Julie Smith and Treena Rowley, who modelled ethical decision-making, adaptability and strategic thinking helped shaped her approach.

Today, she leads a team of strong, confident and capable women. “They influence how I show up every day, and I’m proud to play my part in fostering IAG’s culture where all kaimahi (staff) can thrive.”

Insurance inclusive of a Te Ao Māori worldview

For Taylor, leadership, is both relational and shared. She sees alignment between core insurance principles and Te Ao Māori.

“Insurance, at its foundation, is collective, pooling the resources of many to support those in need,” she says. “That principle resonates with collectivism within Māori worldviews.”

But meaningful reflection of Te Ao Māori requires understanding history. “Tangata whenua (indigenous Māori people) continue to navigate the impacts of whenua (land) confiscations and systemic inequities,” she says. “These histories shape contemporary engagement with institutions.”

When insurers invest in cultural capability, Taylor suggests partnering early and collaborating directly with communities, who are better able to recognise how to protect resources while supporting hapū and iwi (those who have traditionally been responsible for protecting a particular area of Aotearoa).

“People don’t all interpret risk in the same way, nor do they hold the same definitions of what risk looks like,” she observes.

Understanding this is not peripheral to insurance; it strengthens it.

Diversity and inclusion: progress and responsibility

Reflecting on the significant change in diversity and inclusion within the Aotearoa New Zealand insurance industry, Taylor shares a whakatauāki (proverb) by Tā Hēmi Henare (Sir James Henare):

“Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui rawa ō mahi kia kore e mahi tonu.”

These words have been interpreted to mean, “We have come too far not to go further. We have done too much not to continue.”

“When I started two decades ago, te reo Māori was rarely seen or heard in our industry,” Taylor says. “Today, there’s growing awareness and a genuine willingness to learn.”

She welcomes the normalisation of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in everyday business settings. For her, language is foundational.

“Importantly, te reo Māori is a doorway into te ao Māori. When we value language, we open understanding of the concepts beneath it - whanaungatanga (building relationships and connections), manaakitanga (demonstrating care for the mana of others), kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and more.”

Starting with a bicultural foundation strengthens the ability to serve a multicultural Aotearoa. It builds listening, respect and co-design into the system.

Meaningful engagement before the crisis

Given insurance can feel transactional and complex, Taylor argues it’s important that meaningful engagement with Māori starts before a crisis and the influx of claims.

“In practice, this means building trusted relationships with iwi, hapū and Māori community leaders and recognising the central role of marae (traditional meeting grounds) and wharenui (meeting houses),” she says.

“These are places of coordination and care, particularly following natural hazard events.” To add emphasis, Taylor points out that this also means showing up early and consistently, partnering with local responders and marae so that relationships are not just formed in a catastrophe.

This perspective is increasingly important as climate risk intensifies. Resilience is not just infrastructure; it is also relationships.

Supporting the growth and leadership of Māori women

For Taylor, growing Māori women’s leadership across technical, actuarial and risk disciplines requires early exposure and visible pathways.

IAG’s partnership with TupuToa, hosting Māori and Pacific university students for their internship, as well as the delivery of its WorkX programme for high school students, helps create pathways to meaningful career development.

“Financial services roles are often overlooked by rangatahi (youth) considering their futures,” she says. “Backing kaupapa (initiatives and causes) that give rangatahi opportunities to explore career options early is critical.

"So is recognising that different communities experience risk differently and that those perspectives add value."

At IAG, networks such as the Gender Equity Network, Women in Tech & Ops and Women in Risk provide development and peer support. Flexible work acknowledges whānau responsibilities.

Clear career maps, rotational experiences and funded qualifications create access.

“Our industry offers rich development, mobility and meaningful work - yet that story isn’t always heard. I hope to make it more visible through a sustained commitment to access, visibility and shared growth."

Building on those before us, uplifting those alongside us

Addressing women’s representation at all levels of the organisation remains a key focus at IAG New Zealand and indeed, many other organisations across the region.

“For myself, I stand on the shoulders of many who have come before me and hope to hold up others in the future who will follow,” Taylor says.

There is no flourish in the statement. It reflects her style; measured, thoughtful, forward-looking. It is defined by steady contribution: reconnecting to culture, building capability, mentoring women, shaping engagement practices and helping insurance reflect the communities it serves.

Taylor’s leadership demonstrates that progress in insurance, as in society overall, comes from listening carefully, learning continuously and working collectively.

“In my experience, making our purpose tangible, opening the door to career and education opportunities earlier by creating awareness through clear career maps, rotational experiences and funded qualifications, as mentioned, are clear steps,” she says.

“Additionally, allowing flexible work to acknowledge whānau responsibilities, and kaimahi, the ability to access and connect with industry leaders are all elements to a thriving and inclusive workplace.

The mana of women can be reflected in this whakataukī, ‘Me aro koe ki te hā o Hine-ahu-one’ which means ‘pay heed to the dignity and power of women’.”

Happy International Women’s Day.