Thérèse Singleton
Chief Executive Officer
Thérèse is leading the business in its drive to empower brokers through innovation and true partnerships. She is focused on strengthening Ando’s capabilities and guiding the company’s growth and future direction while at the same time ensuring the Ando purpose of looking after the wellbeing of New Zealanders is lived every day. Thérèse is an experienced leader in New Zealand financial services and has spent over 25 years in insurance in New Zealand and overseas. Prior to joining Ando, she was CEO of Resolution Life New Zealand and Chief Claims Officer of Resolution Life Australasia (formerly AMP Life). She is a member of the Institute of Directors, a solicitor and barrister of the High Court, and is a member of the New Zealand Financial Advice Code Committee.
John Lyon
Executive Chair
John led Ando’s growth from our start-up roots to becoming a well-established presence in New Zealand’s insurance market before stepping into the role of Executive Chair. As a highly respected leader in the industry, he has been pivotal in building our talented team, strong customer-focused culture and key broker relationships across the market. John is passionate about creating an inclusive, vibrant and forward-thinking workplace, which allows our team to drive positive changes in the insurance industry. John is a highly active member in the insurance community, frequently sharing his experience at conferences, as well as exploring the future of insurance.
Dean Edwards
Head of Broker
Dean focuses on driving high-quality customer experiences via state-of-the-art technology and innovative processes. Dean has 25 years’ experience in broking, underwriting and leadership. As an executive with Lumley NZ, Dean was responsible for leading the development and implementation of the broker distribution strategy, a highly successful programme that led to significant growth over five years.
Brett Cowley
Co-founder (on sabbatical)
Brett has spent over 20 years in the insurance industry – not chasing titles, but focussing on what actually works. A Chartered Accountant with a strong grounding in strategy and delivery, he’s helped brokers cut through red tape with practical solutions that make a difference. Brett’s passionate about challenging the status quo and simplifying the complex, and is taking 6 months away from the business to recharge, returning in March 2027.
Tanya Clews
Head of Claims
Tanya is responsible for leading Ando’s end-to-end claims function, and delivering fair, responsive and customer-focused claims outcomes. She brings more than 30 years’ experience across personal and commercial insurance, and as one of Ando’s original team members, has played a pivotal role in shaping the business, particularly our claims offering. Tanya is passionate about enabling claims teams to focus on what matters most – supporting clients and brokers through their time of need with care, clarity and confidence. As Ando moves into its next phase, her focus is on building high-performing teams, strengthening strategic claims partnerships, and delivering an industry-leading claims experience.
Mathew Jensen
Chief Actuary
As Chief Actuary, Mathew (Mat) brings both analytical depth and strategic vision to Ando. He leads the Actuarial, Pricing, and Risk teams, overseeing enterprise risk and insurer relationships. Mat's approach combines deep technical expertise with practical business insight, ensuring that the business achieves sustainable growth through optimal pricing and robust risk management. A Fellow of both the Actuaries Institute (Australia) and the NZ Society of Actuaries, Mat is passionate about how technical teams can support businesses through practical advice.
Timothy Riding
Head of Portfolio and Underwriting
Timothy has held a variety of key roles at Ando and has been instrumental in developing digital processes to improve the efficiency of how we deliver our Personal Lines and SME insurance products. As Head of Portfolio and Underwriting Timothy leads the strategic oversight of our various insurance portfolios, ensuring profitable growth and underwriting quality. He started his insurance career in 2003 as a broker, and gained extensive sales and underwriting experience at Lumley before joining Ando in 2015 as one of the original team.
Alex Smart
Chief Information Officer
Alex is an award-winning technology leader with over 20 years’ experience in innovation and digital transformation. With a strategic, customer-first mindset, she has a strong track record of turning technology into better business outcomes and experiences. Her focus is on making it easier for brokers and customers to connect and work with us – reflecting Ando’s belief that insurance is built on relationships, not transactions. She is also passionate about empowering cross-functional teams and developing the next generation of technology leaders.
Celena Harry
Chief People Officer
Celena is responsible for Ando’s People strategy. She brings over a decade of experience in senior roles across some of New Zealand’s most well-known businesses, with a strong focus on helping people thrive at work and building customer-first cultures. Most recently, Celena was Chief People Officer at Mitre 10 New Zealand, where she guided the business through significant changes, brought together a new Executive team, and helped leaders grow. At Ando, Celena is focused on building on what’s already working well and supporting the team as the business continues to grow. She’s passionate about creating an environment where people can do their best work and contribute to strong outcomes for customers and partners.