Call for Nominations

The next Annual Meeting of MAS Members will be held at 7.00pm (New Zealand time) on 26 August 2026 – to be held online. Further details will be provided in the Notice of Meeting.

Ahead of the Annual Meeting, the Trustees are calling for nominations of persons who wish to be considered for appointment as a Practitioner Trustee of MAS Members’ Trust. The closing date for receiving valid nominations is 5.00pm (New Zealand time) on 27 June 2026.  

Practitioner Trustees must be Full Members of MAS – that is, medical practitioners registered with the Medical Council of New Zealand, dentists or dental specialists registered with the Dental Council or registered veterinarians.  Any nominee who is validly nominated and designated as an Eligible Candidate by the Trustees, may stand for appointment on a vote of Full Members at the 2026 Annual Meeting.  

In 2026, at least one Practitioner Trustee role will be vacant due to Steve Merchant, an incumbent, who will retire by rotation and is standing for re-election. 

About the role of Trustees

MAS is a mutual group of companies, owned by its Members, offering financial products and services to Members including general insurance, life and disability insurance, KiwiSaver, retirement savings and financial advice. It holds various licenses to operate and is regulated by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the Financial Markets Authority.

The Trustees of the MAS Members’ Trust hold (on behalf of all Members) shares issued by the parent the MAS Group, Medical Assurance Society New Zealand Limited (MAS). Trustees must also serve as directors of MAS and, in some cases, may be required to serve as directors of subsidiary companies.

Being a director of MAS means you are responsible for overseeing all of MAS’s business affairs. You will help ensure MAS achieves its strategic goals, achieves strong financial performance, and both meets and exceeds legal, regulatory, Member and community expectations. You must be able to evidence relevant skills and the core competencies required for acting in this role.

Due to the breadth and complexity of MAS’s business, appointment as a Trustee requires a significant time investment. Trustee, Board and/or Board Committee meetings are held most months. Board meetings are scheduled for a full day. Committee meetings are held for half days. Trustees often serve on multiple Board Committees. Special business is also regularly conducted. In addition to meeting attendance, on average, 3 to 5 days per month is required of Trustees’ time to prepare for these meetings. You will also be expected to commit to ongoing training and development, including to stay up to date with MAS’s changing business and regulatory landscape. MAS will support you in this regard.

Nominations 

The process for nominations is: 

1. MAS must receive valid notice in writing of the nomination by 5.00pm, 27 June 2026. A valid nomination must be signed by 2 Full Members, include the candidate’s contact details, a description of the candidate and their experience, qualifications and competencies for the role of Practitioner Trustee.    
2. The Nominations Committee will assess the eligibility of candidates who have submitted valid nominations. This may involve one or 2 interviews and further assessments as determined by the Nominations Committee.   
3. Based on this assessment, the Trustees will determine whether to then designate nominees as Eligible Candidates. 
4. Full Members of MAS will vote on Eligible Candidates at this year’s Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for 7.00pm 26 August 2026.   

Eligibility 

To stand for appointment, Practitioner Trustee candidates must be designated “Eligible” after an assessment by the Trustees. Eligibility requires the candidate to:  

• meet the requirements of MAS’s Fit and Proper Policy, which includes having the appropriate skills, background and knowledge to become a Director of MAS  
• understand and support the principles of mutual organisations 
• have significant governance experience   
• possess commercial acumen and strategic focus  
• demonstrate how they can enhance the diversity of thought of the Board, and  
• be connected to professional groups in the medical, dental or veterinary professions respectively.  

The Trustees may set additional criteria and will advise the candidate and seek their input on whether they meet that criteria through the nominations process accordingly.  

In 2026 the Trustees are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with skills and experience in organisational transformation, technology projects and investment. 

Next steps 

If you have the skills, experience and drive to become a Practitioner Trustee and to sit on the MAS Board, please email us for more information at nominations@mas.co.nz.