Specialist risk insurance business PPS Mutual has announced the appointment of Matthew Pilcher to the newly created role of Director of Strategy and Avanti Patki, as Head of Product, reporting to Pilcher.
Pilcher was previously the insurer’s Director of Proposition while Patki was Senior Product Actuary (Member Strategy & Engagement Manager).
PPS Mutual says the appointments arise as it enters the next phase of its growth following its 10th anniversary in the Australian market, pointing to more than 18,000 members and in-force premiums approaching A$150 million.
The company says the creation of the Director of Strategy role reflects the scale PPS Mutual has reached since launching in Australia in 2016.
In the role, Pilcher will lead PPS Mutual’s long-term strategy, identifying opportunities to deliver ongoing value to its members, and will take responsibility for new initiatives across the business. He joined PPS Mutual in 2014, ahead of its Australian launch, and has served as Director of Proposition for more than a decade.
The insurer says in that role he was instrumental in designing Professionals Choice, PPS Mutual’s specialist life insurance offering, to be the top-rated product for its professional member base.
He was also key in launching the PPS Mutual Super Fund in 2019, allowing eligible professionals to fund their premiums through superannuation.
Prior to PPS Mutual, Pilcher spent 14 years at Munich Re of Australasia.
As Head of Product, Patki will lead the development, pricing and ongoing evolution of PPS Mutual’s specialist product suite, including its Professionals Choice offering, as well as responsibility for PPS Mutual’s member eligibility, the company says.
She brings more than a decade of specialised actuarial, strategy and financial modelling experience across the life insurance and wealth management sectors. Since joining PPS Mutual in 2021 “…she has been integral to expanding the mutual’s professional eligibility frameworks and has been a strong advocate for sustainable, long-term value within member-owned insurance models.”
Prior to PPS Mutual, she held actuarial roles at Macquarie Group and AMP.
PPS Mutual CEO Michael Pillemer congratulated both appointees, noting Pilcher has helped shape PPS Mutual from the outset, and Patki has brought wide-ranging expertise to its product work and helped expand the range of professionals it can serve.
