When announcing the appointment, AIA Australia’s General Manager – Group Distribution, Corporate and Master Trusts, Anthony Clough said, “Harumi is experienced, progressive and passionate about group insurance and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the industry. We are incredibly fortunate to have Harumi join the team as we look to further evolve our market leading value proposition”. 

Having worked in group insurance for 25 years, Ms Hancox joined AIA Australia on 21 June 2021 and is excited about the new role. “I’ve been fortunate to work with AIA in the past, so I was eager for the opportunity to join the AIA family and work with the team to help to make a difference in the lives of Australians”.

Prior to joining AIA Australia, Ms Hancox held the position of Head of Group Life Consulting Services at IFS Insurance Services (IFSIS) and has also worked extensively as a product manager at AXA/National Mutual (now AMP).

AIA Australia’s Group Distribution team has recently undergone a strategic review, which included a broadening of its leadership team, positioning AIA Australia for future success in the Group Insurance market.

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Damien Mu

AIA Australia has announced a new AFL partnership, this time with the Sydney Swans as the club’s Official Life, Health and Wellbeing Partner, as well as Membership Partner.

AIA Australia is a leading life and health insurer with more than 47 years of experience, offering a range of products to protect the health and wellbeing of more than 3.8 million Australians.

AIA has partnered with several other AFL clubs in pursuit of its dream to make Australia and New Zealand the healthiest and most protected nations in the world. Through these partnerships AIA hopes to encourage education and discussion about positive physical and mental health.

AIA Australia CEO and Managing Director Damien Mu was excited about the new partnership.

“It is a privilege to be able to team up with the Sydney Swans as their Official Life, Health and Wellbeing Partner.

“We are excited that we will get to connect with Sydney Swans members and fans in 2021 and empower and incentivise them to take small steps to improve their health and wellbeing.

 “It is hugely rewarding to be involved with the AFL community, and to know we can play a part in making a difference in people’s lives.”

Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley echoed the enthusiasm about the new partnership and the ability for AIA and the Swans to work together on their shared passions of health and wellbeing.

“We’re thrilled to welcome AIA Australia to the Sydney Swans family and we believe there is a great alignment between our two brands,” Harley said.

“Health and vitality are incredibly important in our daily activities at the Swans, not just in terms of getting the most from our elite athletes, but also for our broader staff.

“We know that eating, thinking and moving well can impact quality of life, and we also know these are areas that AIA Australia is passionate about, so we look forward to working with them to promote and support wellbeing.”

To welcome the new partnership, AIA Australia will be providing exclusive offers to Sydney Swans Members in the coming month.

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CommInsure Life policyholders will receive a letter from AIA Australia and CommInsure Life, informing them of the intended transfer by way of a scheme under Part 9 of the Life Insurance Act.

The transfer will allow AIA Australia to finalise its acquisition of CommInsure Life from CBA.

AIA Australia noted that the scheme would not affect any policy terms and conditions, nor how policyholders and customers do business with their insurer.

Policyholders will receive a scheme overview and details of how they can access more information, including the scheme documents and actuaries’ reports. They will also receive information on how they can provide feedback about the scheme.

The Federal Court of Australia is expected to consider the scheme at a hearing in March 2021.

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Damien Mu

AIA Australia has announced a new partnership with Collingwood Football Club, as co-major sponsor of the AFLW team.

AIA Australia’s logo will feature on the front of Collingwood’s AFLW home guernsey and on the back of the away guernsey. The partnership will see community activations carried out throughout the AFLW season, and AIA Australia will be a part of branding and match-day fan engagement opportunities.

AIA Australia is a leading life and health insurer with over 47 years of experience, offering a range of products to protect the health and wellbeing of more than 3.8 million Australians. With a strong belief in the importance of shared value, AIA Australia is committed to educating and encouraging communities to take small steps to improve their health and wellbeing.

The announcement follows AIA Australia’s recent partnerships with Essendon, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and St Kilda Football Clubs; however, Collingwood represents the business’s first opportunity to partner with an AFLW team.

AIA Australia and New Zealand CEO and Managing Director Damien Mu said “Partnering with Collingwood, and in particular sponsoring the AFLW team, gives us the opportunity to champion women’s health and wellbeing, as part of our commitment to helping Australians live healthier, longer, better lives.

“We are passionate about the mental and physical benefits that come from being involved with sports clubs, which play a pivotal role in connection, community and activity for their members.

“We look forward to inspiring Collingwood supporters in their own health and wellbeing journeys, as part of our dream to make Australia one of the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.”

Collingwood’s CEO Mark Anderson shared the excitement, noting “We are delighted to have the support of AIA Australia for Collingwood’s upcoming AFLW campaign.

“There is a strong alignment in our values as we both strive to develop and invest in women’s sport and ensure the athletes’ overall health and wellbeing is the utmost priority.”

The new look jumper will make its first appearance on Thursday 28 January when Collingwood play Carlton at Ikon Park in the opening match of the 2021 AFLW season.

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Adam Fraser

AIA Australia has collaborated with Deakin University and Dr Adam Fraser on a research project to examine the mental wellbeing of Australia’s financial advisers.

The project, called The Adviser Voice, has the following objectives:

• Understanding the current state of mental health and wellbeing of financial advisers
• Learning the habits and attitudes associated with those advisers who are currently experiencing positive mental health wellbeing, and how they have responded to industry changes
• Understanding the mindsets and behaviours that are evolving within advisers in order to deal with significant disruptions.

The study comprises three components:

• a survey of 1,000+ advisers
• in-depth, one-on-one interviews exploring issues in greater detail
• a seven-day diary study.

AIA Australia and New Zealand CEO and Managing Director, Damien Mu said delivering this important initiative was aligned with AIA’s commitment to helping Australians live healthier, longer, better lives.

“Australian financial advisers play a critical role in society, through helping their clients and their families. They are an extremely important partner for us as a life and health insurer; we see firsthand the value of advisers in ensuring the financial wellbeing and protection of Australians.

“Advisers have been through a huge amount of disruption in recent years – starting with the Future of Financial Advice reforms, through to the Life Insurance Framework, new education and compliance requirements, and now the effects of the pandemic.

“We want advisers to have the support and the resilience they need to not only survive, but to revive their businesses and to ultimately thrive, so they can continue to help Australians get access to quality advice and meet their financial wellbeing needs,” Mr Mu said.

Financial advisers can participate in the study by completing the survey here. Deakin University will separately invite individual advisers to take part in one-on-one interviews or to participate in the diary study.

All data is intended to be gathered before the end of 2020, with analysis commencing early in the New Year.

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Crisis Extension has been designed to complement AIA Australia’s Priority Protection Crisis Recovery insurance. Whereas Crisis Recovery pays a lump sum when someone is diagnosed with a specified crisis event (such as cancer, heart attack or stroke), Crisis Extension will provide long-term cover for more serious events that generally require additional care and financial support.

Crisis Extension must be taken out with Crisis Recovery but is treated independently; customers can tailor the sums insured for each type of cover.

AIA Australia’s Chief Life Insurance Officer Ben Walsh explained: “Crisis Recovery is extremely valuable for easing the financial burden of an unexpected health issue, and providing peace of mind during recovery. However, where an issue is detected early, this payment may not be sufficient if someone’s condition later progresses or worsens.

“This is where Crisis Extension can assist, to provide long-term additional cover when it is most needed, at a lower premium. This ensures people have flexible and tailored cover for major health events that may occur during their lifetime.

“We hope that this flexibility will allow financial advisers and their clients to vary the mix between Crisis Recovery and Crisis Extension to ensure the protection and cost suits each person’s specific needs. It’s all part of AIA’s purpose of making a difference in people’s lives,” Mr Walsh said.

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Damien Mu

Leading life insurer AIA Australia has welcomed the release of the Actuaries Institute work on the sustainability of disability income insurance, calling it “important and necessary”.

This work has been followed by the release of APRA’s final sustainability measures and expectations of insurers, which AIA Australia supports and will be incorporating into its inflight project of work.

CEO and Managing Director Damien Mu said “We commend Ian Laughlin and the Actuaries Institute Taskforce members for the significant effort that has been made to address the challenges within the disability income insurance ecosystem, and the need for broad structural change. We were pleased that a number of AIA’s people took part in this work in their professional capacity 

“Life insurance is a community good, and we are committed to ensuring the sustainability of our products, in the best interests of our customers and the broader community,” said Mr Mu. 

AIA Australia commenced a program of work in 2019 in response to APRA’s original regulatory intervention; this program is already addressing many of the actions recommended by the Taskforce, including active participation of the board in disability income insurance, and will now incorporate any changes to APRA’s expectations.

Mr Mu said that AIA Australia would be launching a new, sustainable disability income product in the coming months, alongside its existing product set: “We believe moving quickly is important and now that we have been given clarity on the end goal, it is the right thing to do.”

“There is a clear need for simpler products that continue to meet customer needs and deliver value. We echo the comments made yesterday by the Financial Services Council that a new generation of products will deliver ‘availability, affordability and assurance’.

“However, the Taskforce’s recommendations show that the issues inherent in disability income insurance are broader than simply product design, and we all have a role to play in seeking improvements. The detailed ecosystem highlights the important role of financial advice and advisers in helping their clients to get access to the appropriate cover to meet their needs.

“We acknowledge and support APRA’s views, and now it is up to the industry to step up, using the work of the Taskforce and APRA’s latest communication to insurers to move forward. While all organisations will take specific action, we want and need to work closely with advisers, industry bodies including the Financial Services Council, other insurers, and regulators to ensure we can continue to deliver affordable and sustainable disability income insurance to Australians into the future,” said Mr Mu.

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Damien Mu

Leading life and health insurer AIA Australia has unveiled comprehensive data which demonstrates the impact of small lifestyle changes on health and wellbeing, including how Australians have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and are experiencing lifestyle “silver linings” as a result.

The AIA Vitality COVID-19 Insights report, which analyses data from the 150,000 AIA Vitality members who engaged in various activities, reveals nutrition and physical activity are two health and wellbeing indicators that have seen positive changes since the start of 2020.

Data shows members are eating healthier and eating behaviours are changing, with people’s happiness about their diet increasing by 20 percent from January to April. There has also been a 32 percent decline in the number of people who are eating at least one meal per week from a restaurant or takeaway.

With gyms closing and limits on personal training posing a challenge to staying active during restrictions, AIA Australia’s data has shown our appetite for physical activity has stayed strong – members using tech devices to track their physical activity increased by 23 percent in April.

According to the World Health Organisation, people are at a higher risk of getting severe symptoms of COVID19 if they are older (60+) or have a pre-existing non-communicable disease (NCD) such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease or cancer. NCDs cause nearly 90 percent of deaths in Australia and are known to be largely impacted by lifestyle factors such as insufficient activity, unhealthy diet, tobacco use and the harmful use of alcohol.^[1]
CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia and New Zealand, Damien Mu, said that right now, health is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and it was important for Australians to understand that small lifestyle changes can have a significant positive impact on their health and wellbeing.

“At AIA, our purpose is to make a difference, and to champion Australia and New Zealand to be the healthiest nations in the world. The world we live in is changing dramatically, and we are in the midst of a global fight for healthier, longer, better lives.

“In Australia, we are witnessing a once-in-a-generation re-orientation of priorities, especially in terms of health and wellbeing. While we know there have been a lot of challenges, it is also fantastic to see the positive impacts that are taking place in this wonderful, blessed country of ours,” said Mr Mu.

“From cooking more at home, finding time to be more active and spending more quality time with our families – we want to highlight the positive small changes that people are making, and discuss the broader impacts on our community. Our goal is to inspire Australians about the power of making small healthier choices that are within their control and therefore instil a sense of not only hope but optimism as we start to move from surviving to thriving,” he added.

AIA Australia’s data also sheds insight on the challenges many Australians are facing in the current climate, particularly around mental wellbeing. Stress related to social life or lack of social contact has increased by 156 percent in April (the highest of all stress indicators) followed by an increase in stress related to managing the home and looking after children at 76 percent.

Preventative health through advanced health screenings is another health indicator where Australians have faced challenges due to the current restrictions, with AIA data showing there has been a 40-50 percent drop in advanced screenings (mammograms, cervical screening tests and colon cancer tests) completed by its members in April.

Co-Director, Health and Policy at The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, Professor Ian Hickie, says tackling mental health challenges during times of crisis should be considered through utilising a mix of interventions, particularly those that encourage social connection.

“Predictive modelling of the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 indicate that we now face at least a 25 percent increase in suicides each year for the next five years,” commented Professor Hickie.

“Putting an emphasis on physical activity, sleep patterns, healthy diet and reduced smoking, increasing social connection (while still physically distancing) – these are things every person can be doing now to help their mental wellbeing and are not only likely to have direct benefits in reducing depression levels but, very importantly, should minimise the increased risk of premature death or disability due to cardiovascular disease,” he added.

Alongside the AIA Vitality COVID-19 Insights report, AIA has also launched its inaugural AIA Vitality Wellbeing Index. Ranking Australia’s States and Territories in six key indicators that contribute to health and wellbeing – physical activity, risky behaviours, nutrition, mental wellbeing, preventative health and chronic disease – the AIA Vitality Wellbeing Index presents a snapshot of Australia’s health and wellbeing at the start of 2020, shining a light on the lifestyle behaviours that directly influence our health.

While the inaugural national health index has seen the Australian Capital Territory take out the national overall wellbeing ranking, followed closely by Western Australia and Victoria in second and third place rankings respectively – what the in-depth analysis also provides is a starting baseline position for how the States and Territories’ health and wellbeing will change as we move throughout 2020 and into 2021.

The nation’s capital outperformed the other States and Territories in three of the six health and wellbeing indicators – including risky behaviours (smoking and alcohol consumption) where Canberra had the fewest smokers; physical activity where the ACT had the highest number of people meeting exercise guidelines; as well as mental wellbeing where anxiety and depression, suicide and mental health conditions were all considered.

Additional standout findings from the AIA Vitality Wellbeing Index include:

• Physical activity – In addition to taking out the top physical activity ranking, it was also found that Canberrans took out the top spot for participating in organised sport and having the most people who used a bicycle for transport.
• Nutrition – VIC leads the nutrition category overall, however those living in NSW rank the best in terms of meeting daily fruit consumption guidelines, and Tasmanians come out on top when it comes to meeting their daily recommended vegetable targets despite drinking the most sugary drinks of all the states and territories.
• Risky behaviours – ACT secured the top ranking in this indicator, followed by VIC (which had the lowest alcohol consumption), and then SA and NSW tied in third. NSW also had the lowest levels of binge drinking.
• Mental wellbeing – After the ACT, NSW and WA (tied 2nd ranking) also performed well in the mental wellbeing area followed by VIC and NT (tied 3rd ranking). When considering AIA Vitality member data in this category, the NT had the highest proportion of members meeting the sleep guidelines of at least seven hours per day.
• Preventative health – South Australians ranked best overall when it came to preventative health which considers participation in bowel cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings.
• Chronic disease – Queenslanders ranked best in the chronic disease category, having the lowest number of people who suffer from a chronic disease (which includes diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol).

———–

[1] https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/aus_en.pdf?ua=1

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In the new role, Mr Walsh, who is currently Mercer’s Managing Director and CEO of Australia and New Zealand, will drive the direction of the life insurance arm of the business, which includes CommInsure Life.

As Chief Life Insurance Officer, Mr Walsh will be responsible for delivering market-leading life insurance propositions across a diverse range of channels, in order to best meet consumer need.

Mr Walsh will join the Executive Team and report to Chief Executive and Managing Director of AIA Australia and New Zealand, Damien Mu.

Commenting on the new appointment, Damien Mu said: “We’re thrilled to have secured such a high-calibre leader in Ben, who joins the AIA family with decades of experience and a shared passion for purpose and Making a Difference in peoples’ lives.

“We have a unique customer value proposition of Life, Health and Wellbeing and each of those pillars is fundamental to our shared value model. In heading up the Life pillar of the business, Ben will pay a key role in helping us realise our vision of making Australia and New Zealand the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.

“As the business continues to grow, Ben’s leadership and expertise will allow us to deliver greater value in life insurance, further strengthening our leadership by identifying and investing in innovative ways to meet evolving customer needs and expectations.”

Mr Walsh said: “I have admired AIA and its people since prior to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and over the years have been fortunate enough to visit its operations and leadership in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Australia. As the largest global life insurer in the world, AIA is extremely well placed to deliver its vision and in this new role, I look forward to helping the business and team, along with clients and partners, make Australia one of the healthiest and best protected nations in the world.”

Mr Walsh is an experienced industry executive, having worked for Mercer and its sister company Marsh for more than 25 years, most recently as Managing Director and CEO of Australia and New Zealand where he was responsible for delivering the firm’s business segments of Health, Wealth and Career.

He was also Chief Country Officer of Mercer’s parent, the global professional services firm Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) and Director of five Mercer Boards across Australia and New Zealand, including the Trustee of the AU$25 billion in funds under management Mercer Master Trust.

Mr Walsh was appointed to the Faculty of Business & Economics Advisory Board with The University of Melbourne in October 2015 and the Board of the Financial Services Council in 2018.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of Business Administration from the Melbourne Business School.

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Damien Mu

AIA Australia has appointed solutions provider Unified Healthcare Group (UHG) to a three-year strategic partnership to supply medical and healthcare retrieval services.

UHG’s technology platform medEbridge will enable greater integration with the end-to-end claims and underwriting process, in alignment with AIA Australia’s existing automation programs which aim to improve transparency and speed for new and existing customers.

UHG has a proven track record in innovation, leveraging its medEbridge platform to facilitate the efficient and secure exchange of medical information between business and healthcare providers via multiple channels including SMS, online, email and telephony.

The platform currently services more than 50,000 healthcare providers and 9,500 business users and is supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

UHG is also currently exploring ways to improve Underwriting Rules Engines to help automate assessments and reduce the number of manual touchpoints in application processing.

“We’re excited to announce our partnership with UHG, which are leaders in their field. The medEbridge platform will streamline the administrative processes involved with the management of new business applications and claims, in support of AIA Australia’s continuous efforts to improve the experience of our customers. This includes our recently announced innovation capability, which we’re developing with the support of the Victorian Government,” said AIA Australia and New Zealand CEO and Managing Director Damien Mu.

Speaking on the partnership, UHG CEO Rob Farmer said, “This is a partnership that makes great sense. We know AIA Australia is always seeking to improve their customers’ experience – their innovative AIA Vitality offering more than demonstrates this. As they embrace the digitised future offered by the medEbridge platform, they’ll be able to deliver faster response times and decision-making to build even stronger consumer engagement.”

AIA Australia is also exploring further opportunities to utilise the medEbridge platform, including to assist with the management of specialist claims services, health screening and rehab providers.

CommInsure Life, which came together with AIA Australia under a Joint Cooperation Agreement in 2019, will also utilise UHG’s medEbridge platform.

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