- Hon Scott Simpson
Minister for ACC Scott Simpson has appointed Jan Dawson as Chair of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) Board.
"Jan Dawson is a highly respected leader with deep governance experience. Her appointment brings the kind of proven leadership that will be essential to ACC," Mr Simpson says.
"In recent years, ACC has fallen short of the standard New Zealanders should expect. Turning this around will require strong leadership and a clear focus on outcomes.
"The ACC scheme must return to its founding promise of putting clients first. The social contract underpinning the Scheme promised a fast and efficient return to work or independence for injured New Zealanders. Yet today, too many clients are languishing on the scheme, with poor rehabilitation outcomes leaving them worse off," Mr Simpson says.
"Jan brings exactly the kind of leadership needed to drive the turnaround of ACC. She has a proven record of guiding large organisations through periods of change and restoring trust, accountability, and performance."
Ms Dawson has been a member of the ACC Board since June 2024. She is currently Chair of Port of Auckland, Chair of the Audit, Risk, and Sustainability Committee at Serko, and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Mitre 10. Previously, she held both the Chair and Chief Executive positions at KPMG New Zealand, following a 30-year career in audit, consulting, and accounting services in the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand.
In 2024, Ms Dawson was named Deloitte Top 200 Chairperson of the Year.
"Jan's governance experience and reputation for driving results will be invaluable. As Chair, Jan will oversee changes to get more New Zealanders rehabilitated and back to independence faster. I am confident in her ability to ensure better outcomes for clients," Mr Simpson says.
Mr Simpson also acknowledged the service of interim ACC Board Chair David Hunt.
"I want to thank David Hunt for his steady leadership. I'm pleased he will continue as a member of the Board," Mr Simpson says.
Ms Dawson takes up her role with immediate effect.
"I will shortly be announcing my plans for a Turnaround of ACC. This will set a new direction to restore the Scheme to its founding promise - putting clients first and delivering the fast, efficient rehabilitation New Zealanders expect and deserve," Mr Simpson says.
