We're excited to announce a series of new additions and movements across our senior leadership line-up, designed to better support the business, and our team, as we continue to grow and scale.
Lauren De Witt has joined us in the (newly-recalibrated) role of Chief Operating Officer, and we've also welcomed Sam Bell as our new Head of Legal, Risk & Compliance.
Our former COO, Dave Tyrer, isn't going anywhere: as part of the changes, he's now transitioned into the new role of Group Head of Asset Management.
Squirrel Chief, DC, says the changes are all about setting the business up to scale well, and scale smart.
“We’re a complex business with ambitious plans. As we continue to scale, we want to make sure we’ve got the best structure—and expertise around the table—to support that growth, and wider team, in a sustainable way.
“Within the new COO role, Lauren will be responsible for overseeing our People, Risk & Operations. Lauren and Sam bring a huge depth of experience in their respective fields, which will be critical as we build for the future. We’re thrilled to have them both joining the team.”
Lauren’s background includes more than two decades of strategic enterprise operations experience, with a proven track record in building and scaling highly complex businesses during periods of transformation, growth and uncertainty.
Most recently, she spent two years as Foodstuffs North Island Operations Manager - Four Square, overseeing a network of more than 160 stores. Prior to that, she worked as CEO of executive recruitment and contracting firm Emergent, where she was responsible for successfully scaling and stabilising the business post-pandemic.
Lauren says, “Squirrel is building something genuinely different in financial services, and there’s a real opportunity to continue strengthening the systems, leadership capability and operational foundations that support long-term growth. I’m excited to be joining the team at such an important stage of Squirrel’s journey.”
A qualified lawyer, Sam brings over 20 years’ experience across the breadth of New Zealand’s financial services sector—including senior legal, regulatory and compliance roles, most recently at Westpac and AIA.
Sam says, “What really drew me to Squirrel is the deep committment to challenging the status quo and doing right by customers. I’m looking forward to working alongside Lauren and the wider team to support Squirrel's continued growth.”
Cunningham says Dave Tyrer’s transition to the role of Group Head of Asset Management reflects a tighter focus on one of the fastest-growing parts of the business.
“Dave has played an instrumental role in shaping the trajectory of our asset management business over the last few years—and that’ll still be the core of what he does. His new title better reflects the work he’s already leading day to day across our investment and asset management functions. It also allows us to continue building specialist capability across the wider business as we grow.”