Emma Thomas
CEO of Achmea Australia
Emma Thomas is the CEO of Achmea Australia. Having grown up on her family’s farm in the Otago region of New Zealand, Thomas has built a comprehensive understanding and passion for agriculture that she combines with more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services industries. “When I wasn’t at school I was on my grandparents’ merino farm and later moved with my husband to a small lifestyle farm on the Kapiti Coast, where we brought up our children,” she says. “We lived on our small farm while I held several senior roles spanning from finance to sales at a large rural insurer in New Zealand.” Thomas affirms she holds a ‘love for the land’, due to the time she spent in her youth on her grandparents’ high country Merino farm. “It’s the place where my personal values were shaped to appreciate the satisfaction of seeing the results of your hard work, witnessing first-hand communities look after each other as well as see the honest, no-nonsense straight-talking values familiar with farmers,” she explains. “Having both practical hands on farm experience, in addition to a deep knowledge of the financial services industry, has allowed me to collaboratively work together - both with our clients and our people - to create a better tomorrow through more resilient communities.”
In 2017, Thomas moved to Sydney to begin her role as CEO of Achmea, and instantly felt her personal purpose aligned with the company’s values. “I am passionate about continuing Achmea's co-operative principles,” she says. “I come to work each day and proudly support a sector and country that helps feed the world.” Thomas believes that her personal family history is a major driving factor in how she lives her life today. “I have a love for the land having grown up on my grandparents’ farm. This is where my personal values were shaped to appreciate the satisfaction of seeing the results of your hard work, witnessing first-hand communities looking after each other and the honest, no-nonsense straight-talking values familiar with farmers,” affirms Thomas. “Having both practical hands-on farm experience as well as a deep knowledge of the financial services industry helps me to collaboratively work together – both with our clients and our people – to build a better tomorrow through more resilient communities.”
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