This International Women’s Day, ECG acknowledges Naomi Ballantyne—an inspiring business leader whose journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and leadership.
Team ECG had the privilege of connecting with Naomi in early February, where we heard her story and insights into the upper echelons of business and talanoa about ECG’s goals as a Pacific owned professional consulting practice.
Naomi’s career is nothing short of remarkable. With over 40 years in the insurance industry, she has founded not one but two major life insurance companies in New Zealand—Club Life (later acquired by ING and rebranded as OnePath) and Partners Life. Through her leadership, she reshaped the industry by introducing innovative products and a strong customer-focused approach. In 2022, she made history when she sold Partners Life to Dai-ichi Life Holdings for $1 billion, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer in the financial sector.
Despite her immense success, Naomi remains grounded in the values that have shaped her journey. In our talanoa she emphasised the importance of building meaningful client relationships—not simply maintaining them, but continuously strengthening trust and rapport.
At ECG, our values of Excellence, Respect, Innovation, and Resilience are embedded in our workstreams and business practice. It was encouraging to hear that values should be a reflection of who we are and not just be aspirational. Our connection further depended when Naomi shared about her Samoan and Tongan heritage. Her mother, of Samoan and Palagi descent, was born in Tonga after Naomi’s German grandfather relocated there from Samoa. The journey of shared migration to New Zealand for our families was a great synergy. It was also reassuring for ECG to realise that even international leaders go through moments of vulnerability in one's identity but that cultural authenticity whether Pacific, Asian, or otherwise, is a key strength of ECG and that we should continue to lead with it.
Fa’afetai tele lava Naomi! Your story serves as a powerful reminder that perseverance, integrity, and a willingness to challenge the status quo can lead to extraordinary achievements. We are blessed to have connected and that through mentorship, advocacy, and accelerating action, you continue to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners. Malo 'aupito'
#InternationalWomensDay #NaomiBallantyne #WomenInBusiness #Trailblazer #Leadership #PasifikaSuccess #AccelerateAction
Comments