Vernon gets top AMP job

Vernon is currently AMP Chief Financial Officer and will take over as the company’s new group chief executive officer from outgoing CEO Alexis George.

George has announced she will retire from executive roles from 30 March after leading the company since August 2021.

Vernon has more than 30 years’ experience across the financial services sector in New Zealand and Australia and has been AMP Group CFO since July 2023.

He has held a range of senior leadership roles at AMP, including acting CEO of AMP Australia, group executive transformation, and CEO of New Zealand Wealth Management, where he led major transformation and simplification initiatives.

Vernon’s appointment follows “a thorough internal and external search process conducted by a top-tier executive search firm,” AMP says.

It noted Vernon’s “extensive experience from previous financial services leadership roles in Australia and New Zealand”, including his previous stint as acting CEO of AMP Australia from August 2020 to January 2021.

At that time, he had been responsible for AMP’s wealth management and banking divisions with a focus on strengthening customer-led outcomes.

AMP said his appointment “ensures a seamless transition and ongoing execution of key strategic initiatives”.

AMP chairman Mike Hirst said: “After a rigorous search and selection process, the board was unequivocal in its view that Blair brings the right breadth of experience and capability to lead AMP in its next phase of growth as CEO.

“He is keen to deliver strong performance for our stakeholders and has played a key role in improving our position in the financial services industry.

“Blair has built confidence by tightening financial management, steering our capital return program and successfully executing both the AMP Capital separation and the AMP Advice sale and partnership."

Comments from our readers

On 21 January 2026 at 10:57 am Amused said:

One of those announcements that just doesn’t seem possible.

Meanwhile NZ advisers await the release of the guaranteed best seller - "The demise of AMP Life. The true story of how ex-bankers took a 170-year life insurance business and ran it into the ground".

On 21 January 2026 at 2:02 pm Backstage said:

@Amused, exactly, destroying 2 brands and then shedding to another value destroyer, Resolution. Remarkable. AMP were very myopic and had no insurance professionals left in management almost. They had managers from other industries, banking etc and or managers that grew up from within the myopic machine that were oblivious or ignorant of market developments and always the last to move probably leading to extinction. Their management reminds me of a Flaming Lips song - Ego tripping to the gates of hell!

On 22 January 2026 at 4:43 pm Amused said:

@Backstage – well said. An apt description of the last days of AMP life and why they probably don’t exist anymore as a life insurer. AMP had a brand recognised across New Zealand spanning almost two centuries however because of their upper management’s non-insurance background and refusal to listen to advisers feedback that AMP needed to improve their policy offering in-line with competitor enhancements AMP life naturally went the way of the dinosaur. Advisers at the time saw the writing on the wall for AMP long before their management team ever did. I think many NZ advisers upon reading this announcement now will be left scratching their heads. One ex-AMP adviser made the remark yesterday that this news must be an early April Fool’s joke because it just makes no sense.

Vernon gets top AMP job

The former boss of AMP in New Zealand has now landed the AMP chief executive job.

Tuesday, January 20th 2026, 5:29PM 5 Comments

Comments from our readers

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