ASX-listed nib holdings has named Abano Healthcare managing director Alan Clarke as chairman of Tower Medical Insurance, the business it acquired from Tower last year for $102 million. Nib, an Australian private health insurer, said it is also well advanced in appointing a New Zealand-based chief executive for Tower Medical, the nation’s second-largest health insurer with about 13 percent market …

New Zealand manufacturing expanded for a third month to reach the highest level in a year in February, driven by an accelerating pace of production and new orders. BNZ-Business New Zealand Performance of Manufacturing Index rose 1.1 points to 56.3, the highest since February 2012. All five of the seasonally adjusted diffusion indexes expanded last month. Food, beverage and tobacco …

Turners & Growers chief executive Geoff Hipkins has left the fruit marketer immediately, just one week after the company played down speculation his departure was imminent. Hipkins’ exit is effective immediately, and T&G will be led by chief financial officer Harald Hamster-Egerer and general manager of international markets Alastair Hulbert while it looks for a new boss, the company said …