Allianz Australia Life Insurance CEO, Adrian Stewart said, “Our vision is clear, we are committed to delivering flexible retirement solutions to superfunds, platforms and advisers. These new appointments at the executive and Board level will support our strategic reset in delivering better outcomes for all Australian retirees.”

Allianz Retire+ welcomes Andrew Stewart to take on the new role of Head of Distribution Wealth and Malcom Weir as Head of Life Protection.

Speaking on the appointments, Mr Stewart said, “Andrew has in excess of 28 years in distribution experience and brings with him deep relationships with the financial planning community. Andrew has held senior roles in Australia’s largest institutions including Colonial First State, IOOF and Ausiex (Commsec). Andrew deeply understands the needs of planners and advisers. His experience and extensive network align to our refreshed distribution approach to deliver next generation retirement income solutions on platform.”

“Malcolm’s experience within life protection and insurance as the General Manager, Life Customer Solutions for CommInsure and most recently Head of Insurance at NobleOak, will be vital in guiding the business to achieve our renewed objectives. He brings 25 years of deep actuarial expertise and senior leadership.”

President and Chief Executive Officer Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America Jasmine Jirele joins the Board of Allianz Retire+ to provide global insight from Allianz’s US$165 billion business.

“Jasmine brings a wealth of experience building and leading Allianz’s retirement business in the US. We welcome her knowledge and expertise in pioneering products that are tried and tested in a more mature market like the US,” said Mr Stewart.

Allianz is a global leader in the provision of retirement solutions. With over 30 years’ experience in the US retirement space, it is also a market-leader in Germany and across Europe delivering customer-centric retirement solutions.

Allianz Retire+ has spent the past 12 months focused on restructuring the business functions to strengthen product manufacturing capability. The company has made significant investments in technology and retirement solution infrastructure to support a pipeline of innovative products that cater to the unique need of Australian retirees.

Mr Stewart continued, “As one of the only dedicated retirement specialists in the Australian market, we are committed to leading development in the retirement space. We have invested in world class retirement technology and administration services to deliver products with cutting edge platform integration and flexibility to address the needs of retirees. We have also hired product actuarial capability and product marketing specialists to realise our vision.”

Following the retirement income covenant which came into effect from July, trustees and superfunds are increasing their focus on retirement solutions offered to members.

Life companies have the capital and scale to deliver lifetime guarantees. As one of the world’s leading insurance companies, Allianz has a large, fortified balance sheet and the capital to manage this risk.

“We believe life companies have a significant role to play in solving the retirement problem within Australia and can deliver certainty by offering lifetime guarantees. We are ready to partner with superfunds and platforms to deliver these next generation solutions. Retirement is different and we must all work together to find solutions for the benefit of retirees,” said Mr Stewart.

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