From chocolate factory to CEO: introducing Megan Main

“I actually started out as an engineer in a chocolate factory many years ago – it was the only job I’ve ever had that my kids were really interested in,” she says with a laugh.

“I then ended up falling into a job in the public health system in Australia. That’s when I really discovered my passion for being part of the public sector and making a difference.

“Since then, I’ve worked in the health system in Australia and New Zealand as a chief executive of shared service agencies working with the public hospitals.”

Megan comes to us with a wealth of experience.

Most recently, she led New Zealand’s Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) group within the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Previously, she was Deputy Chief Executive of the Ministry’s Corporate, Governance and Information Group.

“I was at MBIE for three years and, for the last 18 months of that, I was leading MIQ which has been an amazing experience. It’s something that didn’t exist 18 months ago and is now a well-known acronym in New Zealand.”

Megan was announced as our new Chief Executive at the end of September and began in the role in mid-November.

“ACC is an iconic institution in New Zealand, so it’s a real privilege to be joining,” she says.

The chance to use her expertise to make a positive difference to the lives of New Zealanders is what attracted her to the position.

“In my career, I’ve really gone for roles where I could be part of a team that was making a difference in the community and ACC does that in spades. The aim is to help people get back on their feet as quickly as possible and to do it in a way that makes sure we can keep doing it into the future,” she says.

“I always say you need a really good reason to get up and go to work with a spring in your step every day. So I’m really looking forward to that about ACC.”

Life outside of the office

Megan grew up in Melbourne and headed across the ditch with her family for professional reasons.

“It was work that first brought us here but we also have family in Wellington,” she explains.

“It’s been really nice getting to know my little nieces and my kids being able to get to know their cousins – just spending that time together as a family is lovely.”

She lives in New Zealand’s capital with her husband, two children (aged 12 and 15) and the family’s elderly dog.

After arriving from Australia six years ago, they first settled in Auckland but have now been based in Wellington for three years.

“One of the things I love about Wellington is that you don’t have to go far out of the city to be in spectacular bush or on beautiful beaches,” she says.

“There’s so many remote areas where you can walk and blow away the cobwebs and have some really nice family time.”

Connecting with our people

Since starting, Megan has been spending time at our head office and enjoying the opportunity to visit our Wellington-based branches.

“The highlight so far has been getting out to our offices and meeting some of our frontline people, our team leaders, and getting a sense of what ACC does for our clients,” she says.

“I was blown away by the commitment they all showed to our clients, their passion and their enthusiasm. They have a really strong connection with our purpose of improving lives every day."