Nick Scarlett

I joined Equal Exes Ltd. on the basis of helping my partner scale the business.

My first steps involved identifying areas of improvement in processes related to operations and sales activities, whilst analyzing customer feedback to improve product offering and services (from their perspective and experience in dealing with the company).

My partner and I then mapped competitors' products /services and identified gaps in the market. We tested our findings through market research to assess and prioritize potential opportunities for new products and services.

Once this phase was complete, I authored our new strategic plans and developed and implemented our business plan to secure capital funding.

We secured funding and in so doing, established a Board of Directors.

Our Executive Chair represents the single largest investor shareholder outside of my partner and me.

We established a Group Holdings entity (Equal Group Holdings Ltd) and this in turn owns Equal Exes Ltd. plus the other companies which we established since me joining and the present day.

These businesses include but are not limited to the following;

Equalibrium Ltd.

Equal Direct

Equal Workplace

Equal Career Consulting

Today we are the leading entity of its kind across ANZ and the Asia-Pacific Region.

Our strategic plans include broadening our footprint across Australia and entering new geographical markets. The USA being the obvious target. We currently have genuine interest from a VC located in California.

I remain involved in the component businesses within the Group that we have established, and I wish to continue doing so.

As this is increasingly at a governance level, I have the capacity to take on new challenges outside of the Equal Group.

Caldwell Partners is a global executive search firm, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange with Partners located throughout Canada, the USA, Europe and ANZ.

The focus of this work was on securing retained executive search mandates from organisations to search, select and appoint Board Directors, CEO's and other 'C-Suite' leadership roles.

I established a trusted and respected network (held to this today) comprising of the leading decision makers and Governance professionals both in New Zealand, in Australia and through projects conducted in other jurisdictions, various additional countries.

I am proud to have led successful pitches and been part of small teams doing likewise which has resulted in my involvement in the ultimate appointment of many of the most senior CEO's and T1 Executives across ANZ.

After approximately seven successful and enjoyable years, in addition to Caldwell New Zealand being sold to an Australian Executive Search Company, by coincidence I required knee surgery which had unforeseen complications.

The cross -section of these two events led me to the decision to 'move on' and that is when I agreed to join my partners business Equal Exes on the basis at that time of this probably being for circa six -nine months.

General Manager at AXA which was taken over by AMP in 2011.

I agreed to stay on at AMP on a 3 year basis to enable a seamless transition from what was the single largest competitor of AMP, into one single organisation.

The integration of these two businesses of immense scale was completed ahead of plan and under budget.

The front-end advisers of both companies that I was accountable for had generated Funds Under Management in the region of NZ$15billion, plus annual premiums for policies totaling approx. NZ$150 million.

Various executive roles during my career at AIA (and at what was formerly the Group Holding business- American International Group).

Much of that time at the regional head office, based in Hong Kong.

I worked across the funds management business, the credit card business, private banking and the insurance operations throughout Asia under the banners of 'AIG' or 'AIA' plus 2 years in Taiwan at the wholly owned subsidiary 'Nan Shan Life Insurance.'

It was through AIG/AIA that I was seconded to New Zealand.

My last role with AIA was CEO.

Until my arrival, the business had never made a profit and had in the many years prior to my appointment been underwritten each year by Regional Head Office.

Various roles of increasing seniority during my tenure.

The last 4 years being the CEO of Zurich International for Asia Pacific.

When I left Hong Kong, the business had, under my leadership moved from 5th position measured by market share to the number #1 position.

This is primarily why I caught the attention of the then President of AIG, who poached me across to join AIG/AIA initially in the role of Vice President of Strategy Asia Pacific, reporting directly to the President- Mr. Frank Chan.