Partners Life has appointed Debbie Eyre (pictured) as chief operating officer, with the role to begin in February 2026, adding a new senior executive to its leadership team in New Zealand’s life insurance market. Eyre has more than 25 years’ experience in senior roles across banking, investments, and insurance, including positions at Chubb Life and Cigna. In those organisations, she worked on changes to operating models, technology platforms, and operational processes across life insurance functions.
Announcing her appointment, Eyre said her focus is on outcomes for staff, intermediaries, and customers. “I’m driven to make a real and lasting difference for employees, distribution partners, and customers. Partners Life stands out for its commitment to developing and maintaining lasting relationships, challenging convention, and doing the right thing – values that truly resonate with me. I’m energised by the opportunity to work alongside such a talented team, both here and across the wider Daiichi Life Group, as we shape a brighter, more secure future for our industry and all New Zealanders,” she said.
As COO, Eyre is expected to oversee Partners Life’s operational functions across the life insurance value chain, including claims, customer service, underwriting, and new business processing. The insurer said the role spans both day-to-day operations and longer-term change projects. The company indicated that the COO position will sit within its programme of work to refine processes, apply technology more broadly across operations, and support business initiatives under the Dai-ichi Life Group. The remit includes activities that affect advisers and other distribution partners, such as systems and process changes.
Chief executive Michael Weston said the appointment is aligned with the firm’s plans for its New Zealand business and its operating model. “Debbie’s strategic vision and people-first leadership style are exactly what Partners Life needs as we continue to grow and evolve. Her proven ability to inspire teams and champion innovation will help us deliver on our purpose and bring the right protection to more New Zealanders. By attracting leaders of Debbie’s calibre, we reinforce our position as an employer of choice and signal our intent to shape the future of insurance in New Zealand,” he said.
Eyre’s appointment follows the release of Partners Life’s gender pay gap report in December 2025, which set out its own metrics alongside national and sector data. The company described the gender pay gap as a high-level indicator that compares median hourly earnings for women and men in both full-time and part-time work. It said the figure reflects the distribution of men and women across roles, rather than pay differences for individuals in identical positions. According to the report, New Zealand’s national gender pay gap was 5.2% in June 2025. In the financial and insurance services sector, the gap was 23.0% in June 2025, compared with 30.2% in earlier years.
Partners Life reported a gender pay gap of 24.5% in March 2024, narrowing to 23.4% by November 2025. The insurer said the main factor behind this figure is workforce composition, with more women in frontline roles and more men in general manager and senior manager positions. The firm operates a broadband pay structure in which each role is assigned to a pay band. It said that, within each band, there is no significant difference in average pay between male and female employees. The overall gap therefore reflects role mix rather than band-level pay settings, according to the company.
Partners Life outlined several measures it is using to monitor and respond to its gender pay position. These include monthly tracking of gender pay data to assess the impact of recruitment, remuneration, and promotion decisions, as well as additional checks in internal processes to limit the influence of unconscious bias. The insurer said it maintains a focus on gender when reviewing remuneration and during recruitment, and has introduced training and mentorship programmes aimed at changing the balance of men and women in senior roles. It noted that these measures operate alongside flexible working arrangements, its parental leave policy, and succession planning processes.
The company also referred to what it describes as a gender inclusive culture and said pay equity remains part of its longer-term planning rather than a one-off exercise. “Diversity and inclusion remain a priority for Partners Life. We’re committed to building a workplace where people from all walks of life come together to create something great,” the company said. For insurance professionals, the timing of the senior leadership change alongside gender pay disclosures adds detail to how one local life insurer is approaching operational management, governance, and workforce structure in the current environment.
