Aon in New Zealand has appointed Jonty Vavasour as Executive Director, M&A and Transaction Solutions.

He will be responsible for expanding its M&A and transaction liability offering and developing a strong local team. Previously head of legal for Bupa in Hong Kong, he was also head of legal, mergers and acquisitions for Bupa in London.

M&A activity in Australia and New Zealand jumped from $88 billion in 2017 to $96 billion last year. Last year 754 deals were signed, according to Aon. The year before the total was 731.