As MAS (New Zealand) prepared for strategic growth, it recognised the need to advance its technology infrastructure to support its investment, life and general insurance business lines. Although its core operations were strong, MAS anticipated that sustained growth would require a more robust, adaptable technological roadmap. On a visit to Canada, MAS connected and exchanged with fellow ICMIF member Gore Mutual which had recently completed a significant technology transformation. This valuable, in-person exchange between leaders across different functions, allowed MAS to explore best practices for balancing technology adoption with operational continuity, strategic flexibility, and mutual accountability. The insights gained enabled MAS to refine its roadmap. The visit and ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing with Gore Mutual, have equipped MAS with a refined planning process, further reinforcing MAS’s confidence in its transformation strategy and its commitment to mutual values.
Company overview
MAS is a member-owned mutual insurance and investment company in New Zealand that’s been enhancing the financial health and wellbeing of its Members since 1921. The company offers a range of insurance and investment options to help grow Members’ wealth and protect what’s valuable to them.
Originally established by a group of doctors, MAS has a strong commitment to supporting the health of communities across New Zealand. True to its community-driven roots, MAS established the MAS Foundation in 2019, a philanthropic organisation that funds community-led projects to improve health and wellbeing equity across Aotearoa New Zealand.
The challenge
As MAS looked toward strategic growth, the company recognised the need to transform its technology infrastructure, especially within its life and general insurance businesses. While its core operations were robust, the projected growth called for a more advanced technological roadmap that could support both business continuity and innovation.
To ensure a smooth and effective transformation, MAS initiated a strategic review to explore technology options and process improvements. Recognising the complexity of these changes, MAS sought to connect with other mutuals with experience in similar technological transformations. The objective was to learn best practices for implementing new systems while maintaining a strong focus on operational continuity – a critical factor as MAS continued to serve a diverse and growing membership base.
The connection experience
MAS reached out to ICMIF asking to be connected with industry peers within the global mutual sector, which had navigated similar transformation challenges. Ahead of a planned visit to North America, ICMIF facilitated an introduction to Canadian member company Gore Mutual that had recently undergone a major technology transformation and was of comparable size and shared similar mutual values to MAS.
The resulting exchange involved a day-long, in-person visit by MAS’s CEO and Chief People and Transformation Officer, to two office locations of Gore Mutual. MAS met with fellow members of the company’s C-suite and other leaders from various functions for discussions. These intensive sessions provided a deep dive into the organisation’s transformation journey, particularly the strategies employed to implement new technologies.
Key insights and learnings
The exchange provided MAS with actionable insights across several critical areas, including:
- Operational continuity during transformation: The importance of balancing innovative technology adoption with strong oversight of core operations. Their experience showed that maintaining focus on ‘business-as-usual’ operations was essential to avoid performance dips.
- Strategic planning and flexibility: The value of an agile approach in technology planning, enabling adaptability as new needs or obstacles emerge. Transparent sharing of both successful strategies and past mistakes, would help MAS shape its own more flexible, resilient roadmap.
- Performance accountability as a mutual: A valuable takeaway was the philosophy that “being a mutual is no excuse for poor performance.” This message, shared by numerous leaders at Gore Mutual, went on to become an ongoing mantra within MAS’s own leadership, reinforcing the importance of accountability and excellence within a mutuality framework.
- Cultural and organisational alignment: The open, transparent discussions provided MAS with insights into the importance of creating an organisational culture that supports transformation while retaining mutual values – a balance that aligns well with the company’s long-term objectives.
Outcomes
The insights from this exchange with Gore Mutual provided MAS with a clearer, more strategic approach to its technology transformation journey, highlighting the importance of balancing innovation with operational continuity. The discussions encouraged MAS to refine its planning processes, focusing on implementing new initiatives without compromising core operations. This approach has reinforced MAS’s confidence, aligning its strategy with industry best practices and mutual values, laying a solid foundation for upcoming transformations.
Armed with these shared learnings, MAS is now well-positioned to implement strategic technology shifts that address immediate demands and long-term growth objectives, ensuring that innovation does not overshadow essential daily operations.
The collaboration did not end after this visit; the two organisations continued to share resources and updates, keeping the connection active even after the initial connection had taken place. The whole experience has proved invaluable for MAS, especially as the company moves forward with technology upgrades in critical areas like claims and general operations.
"This exchange with a fellow ICMIF member offered unique insights that would have been difficult to obtain elsewhere, especially within the mutual space. Their openness about their own transformation journey, including the challenges they faced, gave us a more realistic picture of what to expect and how to prepare. This connection enabled an honest exchange that is rare in more traditional consulting engagements. The facilitation by ICMIF was exceptional, demonstrating a deep understanding of its members’ challenges and the ability to selectively connect us with organisations where the fit would be most impactful."
“The collaborative spirit of the ICMIF network really made this experience stand out. Connecting with organisations that support mutuality and have a cooperative mindset is something you simply don’t get elsewhere. Unlike consultants who may only highlight successful stories to make them look good, this ICMIF connection gave us so much more. Not only outstanding access to knowledgeable senior resources, but conversations with such candidness. This ability to share so openly, without commercial constraints, was a rare opportunity. This experience provided us with powerful insights and lessons that will guide us as we continue on our transformation path."
Andrew Steele, Chief People and Transformation Officer, MAS (New Zealand)
“Learning from both wins and mistakes is key to improvement. By sharing our insights, we help others avoid pitfalls and find easier paths to success. That’s the power of being a mutual—we grow stronger together.”
James Warburton, Chief Information Officer, Gore Mutual (Canada)
