By NZPA
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Monday 5th March 2007 |
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Wilkins today also advocated that Suncorp run its head office from a number of different locations other than Brisbane.
Promina shareholders today approved the $A7.8 billion ($NZ9 billion) merger between the two companies, which was criticised last week for being too expensive and too strategically difficult.
"I think everyone is entitled to their opinion around all of that," Wilkins said.
"We put that this was a sensible strategic combination of two complementary organisations and I'm comfortable in the way in which the merged organisation that we put together will preserve the best interests of both entities going forward."
Wilkins said he thought it was appropriate that Suncorp had not yet announced the composition of the management team of the merged entity because, up until the merger is approved, the companies are still competing organisations.
He rejected suggetions that there was any tension between management teams of the two companies.
Wilkins accepted there would be job losses as a result of the merger.
"That's a natural assumption, and certainly there are going to be synergies," Wilkins said.
"Although, in the scheme book, Suncorp indicated that it ... would find most of those through natural attrition and look to redeploy a number of people."
On the issue of location, Wilkins said, "Promina was certainly always run on a multi-geographic basis, and I think with the addition of Promina now into the Suncorp group I believe that Suncorp would look to do a similar thing rather than have everything in Brisbane."
"Certainly, we've had our operations split between Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland."
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