Profile
“Westfield Specialty and I have been trying to make sure we are opportunistic in the marketplace and that has allowed us to grow profitably and create a broader and more diversified portfolio”
Jack Kuhn
Westfield Specialty
Karen Meredith is a certified executive coach and proud HR professional with over 20 years of experience; a true HR generalist with key strengths in human-centred organisational design, strategy development, change management, workplace sustainability measures, employee relations and stakeholder engagement.
Karen is known for being a genuine people partner and a hands-on intuitive leader. She loves HR and brings energy, compassion, creativity and professionalism to every organisation she engages with.
After over two decades in corporate and government senior HR leadership roles, Karen founded the outsourced HR consultancy, PeopleEX, to bring her people-centric HR approach to NZ businesses. Her favourite thing is to work in partnership with clients and their people to stimulate better business growth, better social and environmental outcomes, and better people and customer experiences.
“People for Better” is why PeopleEX exists. Karen believes that ultimately, HR can, and should, harness the power of people to make an impact – for the organisation and for the communities that we live in.
Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in management and a master’s in human resource management from the University of Technology Sydney, a Business Sustainability Management Certification from the University of Cambridge and a Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. She is also an Emotional Culture Deck practitioner and an Accredited Executive Coach through the International Coaching Community (ICC).
Virtual office with employees located in Wellington, Hamilton and Auckland
022 057 3049
karen.meredith@peopleex.co
linkedin.com/in/karen-meredith-307ab017
peopleex.co
Karen Meredith
Founder and Director
PeopleEX
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“The biggest challenge is getting everyone comfortable with the pace that I’m looking for to drive our buildout and growth. How I deal with it is by being open and transparent, and responsive to questions or concerns”
Jack Kuhn
Westfield Specialty
2003
2004–2007
2007–2013
2014–2020
2020–present
Started HR career as a HR Coordinator at MHS
2003
Travelled extensively and worked in training and development abroad
2004–
2007
2007–2013: Senior Advisor at the Fair Work Ombudsman, then Assistant Director, then Director in Human Resources
2009-2010: Created Australia's first Certificate IV and Diploma in Government (Workplace Relations)
2010: Received a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Technology, Sydney
2013: HR Consultant at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
2007–
2013
2014-2020: Senior Manager, then Director People & Culture at PwC New Zealand
2016: Registered as an International Certified Executive Coach through the ICC
2020: Karen and the PwC People & Culture team were recognised as one of NZ's most Innovative HR Teams of 2020
2014–
2020
2020-present: Founder and Director at PeopleEX
2022: Completed the University of Cambridge's Business Sustainability Programme and Certification
2023: PeopleEX was a finalist in HRNZ's 2023 Award in the "Building Sustainability Through People" category
2023: Featured speaker at Sustainable Business Network (SBN) events and DisruptHR
2020–
present
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Kuhn says, “I would say my career has been one of more of chance and opportunities than a set plan. And it’s interesting how one decision has a ripple effect on putting you on a different path than maybe where you thought you would be.”
He highlights his spell at Endurance as his biggest professional achievement to date.
“It took some time, but we took them from really being viewed as a reinsurance company to being viewed as a global insurance company.”
It’s this type of innovative attitude that is powering Westfield Specialty forward so successfully.
Kuhn explains, “Westfield Specialty and I have been trying to make sure we are opportunistic in the marketplace and that has allowed us to grow profitably and create a broader and more diversified portfolio.”
Part of this has seen the firm acquire the existing Lloyd’s of London Syndicate 1200 in February 2023. It is also Kuhn’s ingenuity that has allowed Westfield Specialty to outperform expectations in challenging market conditions.
“I would say it’s been the understanding that there is a limited window of time. We're in this unique market, we need to be fast and decisive to take advantage of market opportunities before the market begins to move away,” he comments. “Additionally, I'd like to say we move with a lot of speed, but we do it in a thoughtful and methodical approach, not just to be the first.”
However, it has been an intricate process to ensure his team are onboard with his vision. Kuhn places importance of explaining his targets and the blueprint to achieve them.
He adds, “The biggest challenge is getting everyone comfortable with the pace that I’m looking for to drive our buildout and growth. How I deal with it is by being open and transparent, and responsive to questions or concerns. This way, everything gets thoroughly discussed and resolved.”
With almost four decades in the industry, Kuhn has developed methods that have consistently delivered. It is why he has been tasked with so many leadership roles and he intends to maintain his focus on creating more success at Westfield Specialty.
“I think I am and have always tried to be methodical. I look at the big picture yet stay focused on executing the different opportunities or plans that I have in front of me. I don’t get emotional or make emotional decisions.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
Kuhn joined Westfield Specialty in the firm’s first year (2021) and has established the company’s presence in the specialty market. By the end of 2023, the firm is expected to surpass $1.3 billion in GWP after writing $300 million in 2021.
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