Humans of NZI

Playing the long game

Murray James talks about his cricketing days and how he got his first runs in the insurance world

Wellington born and bred NZI Corporate Manager Murray James has been in the insurance industry for almost 30 years, and he’s proud to say he’s in it for the long term.

What started with a ‘foot in the door’ in 1992 by getting his first role at NZI’s parent company IAG, turned into a life-time career that has seen Murray work across the full insurance spectrum, including claims and sales.

In 2016, he joined NZI in his current role of Corporate Manager, where he is responsible for managing commercial and corporate insurance relationships from everywhere between Hamilton and the bottom of the South Island. Good things take time

Building and maintaining relationships can take time, and Murray has learned the traits of patience, teamwork and focus first-hand through another of his passions, cricket.

“In the late ‘80s, I started doing an engineering degree, but it wasn’t for me. Cricket was my passion since I was in school, so I spent three years in the UK playing cricket. I was a top-order batsman and off spin bowler. It was good fun.

“Once I returned to New Zealand, I decided to get a proper job because I was getting a bit older and I couldn’t play anymore. I had mates in the industry, so I got into the insurance game.”

Murray says his years at the crease have held him in good stead for the insurance industry.

“You’ve got to stay focused and be persistent, but also a good team player.” Our capital city

Murray is passionate about his home city and the role insurance plays.

“Insuring in Wellington has its challenges, mainly due to its geography. And our challenge is to do the best we can to keep insurance available and affordable.

“It’s important to understand the Wellington market to be able to help customers by providing the cover they need. As an industry, we are committed to continuing to educate people on this.” Being there when we’re needed most

Murray enjoys building connections and being there for customers.

“Interacting with people and helping them is my motivation and the reward at the end of the day. Getting to know customers and brokers gives me energy, especially when it comes to listening and learning about their business.

“By understanding how they operate and learning more about their particular industry, I get the opportunity to come up with the best solution for them. I get inspiration from this aspect of my role, and I’m very passionate about it.”

One of the most memorable moments in his career was being involved in the Christchurch rebuild work, to help the city to recover from the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

“I spent three years in Christchurch as I was involved in the residential rebuild. That was quite a challenging time, but very fulfilling. Working directly with customers and being able to help them get back into their homes was very rewarding.” Swapping sports

While Murray’s cricketing days may be over, his passion for sport remains.

“I play golf at least once a fortnight. I really enjoy it and while 18 holes can’t be done in an hour, I enjoy it because it tests my focus. So far, I’ve played over 100 golf courses in New Zealand and would like to do more.

“I also try and go away at least once a month with my partner on the road. We pack our caravan, our border collie dog, my golf gear and we travel around the North Island.”

After almost 30 years in the insurance industry, Murray is not planning on leaving any time soon.

“I’ve enjoyed it all the way. I don’t think I’ll ever leave the industry. The longer you stay, the better it gets.”

Murray playing golf at St Andrew’s Old Course in Scotland