At this year’s Next Fest, hosted by the Sustainable Business Network, NZI stepped forward as Principal Partner with a bold message: sustainability isn’t just a priority - it’s a strategic imperative. Among the standout voices was Christian Barrington, Chief Actuary for IAG New Zealand, whose advisory role with NZI is helping shape how the business supports brokers and clients in a rapidly changing economy.
Christian’s contribution was more than technical - it was personal, passionate, and deeply rooted in his journey through the insurance industry. From his early days as an Actuarial Analyst in London to leading actuarial strategy across IAG New Zealand, which NZI is a business division of, he’s seen firsthand how seismic events - both literal and economic - can reshape the landscape of risk.
A career defined by change
Christian’s path into insurance began in 2008, when he was living in London with his Kiwi wife, Deahna (pictured with Christian and their two sons). “Deahna wanted to return home, so I needed a job,” he says with a laugh, “and a role opened up in New Zealand at just the right time. I remember my interview with Karl Armstrong, previously NZI’s Executive General Manager, who thought I had something valuable to offer.”
What followed was a career marked by pivotal moments - none more defining than the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010. “I was about to leave the industry in all honesty,” Christian recalls, “but the earthquakes changed everything. From a professional perspective, it was one of the most complex and challenging events to deal with,” he recalls.
“It was the biggest insurance event to hit Australasia. And it taught me how deeply insurance is connected to the economy, the community, and the future.”
Christian was tasked with estimating the cost of the disaster across all IAG brands, including NZI, advising senior management on capital and claims, and using geospatial analysis to understand the compounding damage from a series of earthquakes. “It wasn’t just actuarial work - it was insight generation across the business.
“The event reshaped the entire New Zealand insurance market, including reinsurance structures, and a shift from replacement policies to fixed sums insured, as well as dealing with EQC – now the Natural Hazards Commission – Toka Tū Ake.”
Making sustainability commercial
At Next Fest, Christian drew on his previous experience navigating the aftermath of the earthquakes to contribute meaningfully to a panel titled Fuelling the Next Economy – Unlocking Access to Finance. Held at Auckland Zoo, the session featured leaders from venture capital, banking, philanthropy, and government. Christian’s message was clear and compelling: sustainability-focused businesses aren’t high-risk - they’re long-term risk reducers.
He challenged the audience to rethink how risk is priced into capital and underwriting. “My passion is about making sustainability commercial,” he said.
“How do we take something like the Paris Agreement’s goal to make financial decisions that support low emissions and climate-resilient development - and actually make it work in real life for our business, our partners, clients and communities?”
Christian sees climate change as a seismic shift in the economy, akin to the earthquakes that defined his early career. “The electrification of the economy is happening fast. So, my role with NZI is to help advise the team on these opportunities - renewables, solar, wind - and find ways to support clients without compromising financial security.”
NZI’s underwriting innovation
One of the ways NZI is doing this is through its Sandbox Underwriting Framework - a new approach that allows the business to explore and insure emerging climate-related risks in a controlled environment. “The Sandbox Underwriting Framework lets us test new ideas, collaborate with brokers and clients, and shape the future of insurance collaboratively,” Christian explains. “It’s about being agile while staying disciplined.”
This framework aligns with NZI’s broader strategy to support sustainable business and green underwriting. It’s a way to lead the market, not just follow it - and to help brokers offer differentiated, ESG-aligned solutions to their clients.
Christian is also passionate about changing the broker-insurer relationship from transactional to transformational. “The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are all about partnerships,” he says.
“We’ve always looked at clients and communities as partners - not just risks. Not only are we insuring the future - but we’re also helping to build it.”
Broker leadership and business opportunities
For brokers, this means new tools, new conversations, and new opportunities to lead. “The economy is changing,” Christian says. “And brokers have a critical role to play in helping clients understand and adapt.”
Asked what advice he’d give to brokers wanting to get into the sustainability space, Christian doesn’t hesitate. “Open your mind to these business opportunities, go to events like Next Fest, the 2026 Climate Change & Business Conference, and chat to the sustainability team at NZI,” he says. “It makes you realise it’s not just a climate issue - it’s an economic transformation.”
He points to the electrification of the economy and our homes in the future – along with the rise of renewable energy as examples of how sustainability is reshaping New Zealand. “Understanding these shifts gives brokers a strategic edge. It’s about insight, not just information.”
Karate, boxing, and fatherhood
Outside of work, Christian’s passions are just as intense. He achieved his second-degree black belt in karate last year, enduring 14 rounds of physical sparring, with the scars to prove it and trains weekly at Boxing Alley in Auckland. “It keeps me grounded,” he says.
“I also enjoy spending time with my sons James, 16 and Tom, 12 (also pictured), whether that be building Lego models with them or umpiring their cricket matches.”
It’s this balance of discipline and dynamism that defines Christian’s leadership - whether in the dojo, the boardroom, or on stage at Next Fest.
