Zurich Financial Services Australia has expanded its risk distribution team adding 14 new members in the lead up to its acquisition of the Macquarie Life business.
The new team members will hold various roles across the life insurer’s Business Development, Risk Strategies and Strategic Accounts teams boosting its profile and strategic distribution support capabilities in the market.
The appointments are spread across the mainland states with Queensland seeing the largest boost in team numbers followed by NSW.
In Queensland Michelle Dolan, Peter Christopherson, Russell Townsend and Ryan Adair have joined Zurich’s Business Development team and Danielle Visser has been appointed to the Risk Strategy Specialist team.
In NSW, Rhonda Morley and Mark Olivier have joined Zurich as Business Development Managers while Jessica Brady has joined the Risk Strategy Specialist team, and Klytie Sheppard has been appointed to the Risk Strategic Accounts team.
Appointments in Western Australia have resulted in Aaron Boddy being named as Regional Manager and David Rees joining the new Risk Strategy Specialist team while Lauren Styles and Simon Betchley have been named as a Business Development Managers for Victoria and South Australia, respectively.
Zurich announced the new team members following recent confirmation from the Federal Court that the acquisition can proceed and take affect from 1 October. (See: Court Approves Zurich’s Acquisition of Macquarie)
The insurer had earlier announced the appointment of Dave Evans to the National Sales Manager role, and of Daniel Longden to the role of Head of Strategy and Proposition.
Longden will see assume the product and proposition strategy responsibilities previously held by Phil Kewin, who will leave Zurich. (See: Zurich Names First Hires From Macquarie Life)
Zurich Life and Investments Head of Distribution, Kristine Brooks said advisers were looking for help in re-shaping their businesses and Zurich had developed a number of tools and resources to assist them in this work.
“Adding to our award winning Business Development presence in every mainland state significantly strengthens our ability to support licensees and advisers in growing their practice and improving their own customer proposition,” Brooks said.
“We’re delighted to be able to add so much high calibre talent to a team already acknowledged as being the best within the industry,” she said.
