The Board of MLC Life Insurance has announced that CEO and Managing Director Rodney Cook intends to retire at the end of 2022 and that it has appointed Kent Griffin, Chief Finance Officer, to succeed Cook in late October this year.
A statement from the company says that to ensure a smooth transition, Cook will continue to lead the business over the next five months.
MLC Limited Chairman, Peter Grey, says he is pleased the board has chosen Griffin to take over as the new CEO, adding that he is an outstanding leader who brings a wealth of commercial and strategic experience to the role.
“Since he joined us in early 2020, Kent has helped to strengthen our business and has overseen our return to profitability. He is a strong leader with a clear vision for the future of MLC life Insurance as we face the challenges of a fast-changing life insurance sector and ever evolving customer needs.”
Griffin says he is honoured to have the opportunity to lead the company “…as we seek to achieve our ambition of becoming Australia’s leading and most trusted life insurer.”
He has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services, both in Australia and internationally. Prior to joining MLC Life Insurance in February 2020, he was the Chief Financial Officer of TAL.
Before that, he was a partner of Ernst & Young and Regional Chief Financial Officer of AXA Asia Life.
Grey thanked Cook for “…guiding us successfully over the last two years. During his tenure, Rodney commenced an important change to our culture and mindset to one that is relentlessly focussed on the needs of our customers. We are confident this good work will continue after his departure.”
Cook has been CEO since June 2020 and “…has guided the business through a series of major changes including the completion of its technology transformation program (Sanagi), as well as meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the company says.
