Melissa will lead MLC Life Insurance’s Risk function, which includes the company’s Risk, Compliance, Governance and Legal teams. She joined MLC Life Insurance in 2023 as General Manager, Risk, and has been acting as Chief Risk Officer since September 2024, replacing Jane McGovern who was appointed Chief Customer and Strategy Officer.

Prior to joining MLC Life Insurance, Melissa held senior risk, compliance and business transformation roles at iCare NSW and Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of MLC Life Insurance, congratulated Melissa on her appointment. “Melissa is a highly respected leader with more than 25 years’ experience spanning insurance, financial planning, superannuation and asset management.

“Since joining MLC Life Insurance, Melissa has driven a positive uplift in our risk capability. She has also done a fantastic job leading our Risk, Compliance, Governance and Legal function during what has become a time of significant change for our business,” he said.

“Melissa’s appointment further strengthens our leadership capability and I am delighted to have Melissa join our Executive Team as we progress plans to complete the merger and become Acenda later this year.”

Nippon Life announced in December 2024 that it had agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Resolution Life. On completion of this transaction, which is expected to occur in the second half of 2025, and subject to regulatory approvals, Resolution Life Australasia, and MLC Life Insurance will merge to create Acenda, one of Australia’s largest life insurance businesses.

The post MLC Life Insurance appoints new Chief Risk Officer appeared first on AdviserVoice.

“Appointing Gerard Kerr as Chief Executive Individual Business and Jane McGovern as our Chief Customer and Strategy Officer embodies our commitment to the customer experience and elevates our focus on the individual advised channel, while continuing the work we’re doing to improve our customer and partner proposition,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer for MLC Life Insurance.

Gerard Kerr joins the business with more than 25 years’ industry experience, previously holding senior roles at Zurich, ANZ Wealth (OnePath Life), Asteron and most recently ClearView Wealth where he served as Group Executive – Life Insurance.

“Throughout our long history, financial advisers have been vital partners for MLC Life Insurance,” Kent Griffin said. “An experienced industry leader like Gerard allows us to build on the improvements to our adviser experience and deliver on our promise to customers who receive the critical support of advisers. This reinforces our commitment to the health and success of the financial advice industry more broadly.”

“We’re very fortunate to have someone with Gerard’s breadth of experience and expertise join the executive team at such an important time,” he said.

Speaking of the appointment, Gerard Kerr said: “MLC Life Insurance is a great business with big ambitions. I’ve been tasked with putting advisers at the centre of our retail business and I’m excited to work with an incredible team and join an already stellar effort happening in this space.”

“I think MLC Life Insurance have an incredible offering for advisers, and the backing of Nippon Life makes that offering even stronger,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting out and talking to advisers about how we can help them and their clients.”

Jane McGovern joined MLC Life Insurance in 2022 as Chief Risk Officer and takes on a new role as Chief Customer and Strategy Officer.

“Jane has delivered positive cultural change across the organisation as well as a focus on achieving better outcomes for our customers,” said Kent Griffin, “and now she will further strengthen our Total Customer Experience which is the core of our strategy.”

“I’m excited to continue working with Jane to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers and partners,” he said.

Speaking of the appointment, Jane McGovern said: “I’ve seen first-hand MLC Life’s commitment to its customers and partners, and I’m looking forward to working with an amazing team to take the Total Customer Experience to the next level.”

The post MLC Life Insurance goes for growth with executive appointments appeared first on AdviserVoice.

• Claims Team of the Year Award – Retail and Group Claims Management Team
• Customer Service Team of the Year Award – Retail and Group Mental Health Claims Team
• Partnership Impact Team of the Year Award – Recovery and Wellness
• Life Insurance Excellence Leadership Award – Darren Leonard, Northern Underwriting Manager NSW/QLD

“The annual ALUCA awards are extremely competitive and receive a high number of exceptional entries all of which are judged by cross-industry leaders and senior life insurance professionals,” said Amanda McKernan, Chief Executive Officer for ALUCA. “We’re extremely proud of all the deserving winners, who’ve demonstrated excellence in life insurance, going over and above to achieve outstanding outcomes for their customers and partners.”

Having last year taken home Claims Team of the Year for its Fast Track Straight Through Processing Initiative, MLC Life Insurance this year went back-to-back for this highly coveted award, winning the accolade for its Income Protection Analytics Model, which improves customer and partner experience by augmenting the ability for claims teams to accurately forecast claim durations from lodgement and ensure the right support is provided at the right time, assisting customers through every step of their claims journey.

“This groundbreaking tool empowers our people by harnessing advanced data analysis techniques to improve our claims process and the total customer and partner experience,” said Andrew Beevors, Chief Claims Officer for MLC Life Insurance. “In many ways, it’s also an important litmus test for the industry as we’ve clearly shown new innovations and digital solutions can be used effectively to serve strategic goals and build customer trust by elevating their end-to-end experience.”

MLC Life also picked up the Customer Service Team of the Year Award, for its claim lodgement support program, a customer-centric process that leverages the principles of early intervention to support customers with a mental health condition who are lodging a claim by simplifying the lodgement process and offering early allied health support for its most vulnerable customers.

“With 100% of customers saying they felt supported by our claim lodgement support system, it’s welcome recognition for our teams that are dedicated to delivering our best-in-claims experience, because we know that making a claim is when our promise for life matters most to our customers,” said Andrew Beevors. “Our ‘here for you’ claims philosophy means offering a personalised, empathetic and efficient response.”

“We were also grateful to take home the Partnership Impact Award, recognising our collaboration with Wysa and Swiss Re, as the first Australian life insurer to offer our customers a world-leading digital mental health app, incorporating scores to promote holistic healthy living and improve mental wellbeing, as well as an anonymous conversational AI chatbot,” said Andrew Beevors. “Featuring regular check-ins, bespoke assessments and a library of self-care tools built by experts, the app seamlessly integrates into our award-winning Vivo health, wellness, and recovery support network.”

ALUCA also awarded the prestigious Life Insurance Excellence Leadership Award to MLC Life’s Darren Leonard, recognising his genuine care and expertise in driving strong outcomes for customers and partners.

“Operational excellence is one of the ways we put customers at the centre of our business, and investing in our people is a key part of delivering on that,” said Jane Murray, Chief Operating Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “that’s why it’s so terrific to see our people recognised through these important industry awards.”

The post MLC Life Insurance wins Claims Team of the Year back-to-back appeared first on AdviserVoice.

“MLC Life Insurance is a part of the Nippon Group and its largest business outside of Japan,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “and this appointment is a sign of the close working relationship between Nippon Life and MLC Life, and the commitment that Nippon Life has to the ongoing success of our business in the Australian market.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Koji Ichiba to MLC Life Insurance and I know the broader business looks forward to working with Ichiba-san as well,” he said.

Minoru Kimura, Director and Managing Executive Officer for Nippon Life Insurance Group said of the appointment: “We believe in the importance and future of life insurance in Australia and MLC Life Insurance is an integral part of Nippon Life Insurance’s international growth strategy.”

“We are delighted Ichiba-san will be able to bring his unique expertise and significant international experience to MLC Life Insurance at this important time, as part of this critical partnership.”

Speaking of his appointment, Koji Ichiba said, “I am pleased to join MLC Life Insurance and would like to contribute to the development of the company and the Australian life insurance industry for our customers by fully utilising my experience in various countries.”

“MLC Life Insurance is an important part of the Nippon Life Group and this is a critical time for the industry to deliver for customers following implementation of the Albanese Government’s reforms to improve the access by all Australians to quality advice.”

Koji Ichiba joins MLC Life from Nippon’s Tokyo office, most recently serving as the General Manager of Overseas Life Insurance where he was responsible for financial performance and governance/risk management for all of Nippon Life’s global insurance businesses.

Joining Nippon Life Insurance in 1993, Koji has held multiple roles across the business, working in a number of locations including Thailand, Singapore and India. Some of these roles include Executive Vice President for Reliance Life Assurance in India, and Chief Executive Officer for Nippon Life Asia Pacific.

Ichiba-san replaces Tomonao Gotoda, who is returning to Tokyo where he will take up the senior role of General Manager, Global Business Planning Department within the Nippon Life Insurance Group.

“Gotoda-san has been a highly respected member of our Executive Team, a member of the MLC Life Insurance Board and his contribution over the past five years has been enormous and will have a lasting impact. From overseeing the acquisition and separation of MLC Life Insurance from National Australia Bank, to his leading role though the difficult times of the pandemic, he will be greatly missed both personally, and professionally,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer for MLC Life Insurance.

Koji commenced in the role on 25 March 2024.

The post MLC Life Insurance appointment continues strong Nippon Life investment in Australian market appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Kent Griffin

Nearly half of Australian workers have three months’ or less savings in the event of a disability which prevents them from working, with almost a third of women only having one month of savings according to new research undertaken by MLC Life Insurance.

The research, conducted by Freshwater Strategy for MLC Life, challenges the current government-mandated default design of disability insurance to include only Total and Permanent Disability (TPD), showing that women are especially vulnerable to loss of income in an environment where TPD insurance requires claimants to sustain a total and permanent disability and sees individuals waiting an average of 2.5 years before they even lodge a claim.

While 22 per cent of men have savings of less than a month, the same is true for 35 per cent of women, demonstrating a 59 per cent gap. Overall, 46 per cent of all Australians have an income buffer of just three months or fewer.

The research demonstrates that it is also men who are more likely to be comfortable at the other end of the spectrum. While 19 per cent of Australian men have a savings buffer of 2 years or more, just 11 per cent of women live with the same level of financial security.

The research, conducted by MLC Life Insurance to explore the evolution of the product design of default TPD insurance, shows Australians are overwhelmingly in favour of a new approach, with 57 per cent preferring a steady stream of regular income over a lump sum payment in the event of illness or injury.

“The current approach to disability insurance in superannuation is centred on a binary assessment of total and permanent disability,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “and, while it works for some, the evolving needs of members and changing nature of disability requires a debate about the most appropriate default disability insurance system that meets these needs.”

“TPD is a crucial safety net for those experiencing severe and long-lasting impairments, however its binary framework falls short in addressing the complex needs of Australians who experience temporary disability through injury or illness which is increasingly common in today’s environment.”

The current regulatory framework has led to most trustees providing only TPD and death insurance by default, leaving many members reliant on proving TPD without temporary incapacity support to enable them to get back on their feet and focus on recovery.

While TPD insurance serves a crucial purpose, its essential terms, lump sum nature and the fact that many TPD claimants ultimately return to work raises serious concerns about its effectiveness and sustainability as part of the current legislated default system. The research shows almost 50 per cent of Australians thought current practice was unacceptable and 60 per cent support changing the current default system if it reduces costs for consumers.

“Australians revealed a clear preference for income stream alternatives to lump sum payments in the event of disability,” said Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer for MLC Life Insurance. “This preference aligns with the reality that many Australians simply lack sufficient savings to sustain themselves for extended periods of unemployment due to temporary disability.”

Alarmingly, under the current lump-sum disability insurance model, a majority of Australians (55%) indicated they would pursue a disability claim even if they anticipated recovery or a return to their previous employment. This stark finding highlights the inherent flaw in the current default disability design, which may incentivise individuals to prioritise meeting the eligibility criteria rather than focusing on their recovery.

“People shouldn’t have to choose between their health and financial support, inadvertently increasing their risk of developing a level of permanent disability that necessitates support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This heightened risk places a strain on the sustainability of the entire health and wellness ecosystem and worker safety net,” Kent Griffin said.

The research accompanies the release of a green paper by MLC Life Insurance exploring the evolution of disability insurance in super to deliver better outcomes for Australian workers facing illness and injury and superannuation trustees acting in the best financial interests of members.

“As one of Australia’s oldest life insurers, we’re determined to work with government, trustees and consumers to develop a more equitable and sustainable framework for supporting members with a disability, especially those with mental health-related disabilities,” said Mark Puli. “This framework should consider income stream alternatives within superannuation, address the gaps created by a total disability framework and instead focus on health, wellbeing and recovery, and enable a better and supportive interaction between private and public support schemes such as the NDIS.”

The post Nearly half of Australians can’t afford to wait for default disability insurance, women most impacted: MLC Life Insurance research appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Mirella Robinson

MLC Life Insurance has appointed experienced technology executive Mirella Robinson to the newly created Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role as part of the Executive Team.

“Given the importance of technology in delivering our strategy that puts the customer at the centre of what we do, I’m excited to draw from Mirella’s impressive experience as we create this crucial role,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer of MLC Life Insurance.

Mirella is a senior technology executive with over 20 years’ experience spanning various industries including financial services, telecommunications, media and retail energy.

Mirella joins MLC Life Insurance from Cbus where she served as Chief Information and Technology Officer, significantly evolving their Technology and Data Strategy to leverage machine learning and AI practices, as well as successfully delivering two fund mergers and complex system integrations.

“Mirella has a proven track record of delivering customer experience by building strong teams, driving innovation, agility, and performance in diverse and complex environments,” said Kent Griffin. “We’re pleased to have someone with her background and expertise joining MLC Life Insurance to help deliver on our strategy.”

The CTO role will contribute to the significant body of work being undertaken by the business to further improve the systems, processes and industry-leading technology needed to offer an even better experience for advisers and customers, as well as superannuation funds, trustees and their members.

“Throughout my career, I’ve focused on solving problems to help people,” said Mirella Robinson. “Making sure customers are able to enjoy a great experience by accessing safe and simple systems is integral to the work of a CTO.”

“MLC Life Insurance is one of Australia’s oldest and most trusted life insurers, and I’m excited to bring my experience to continue to improve an already excellent proposition for customers and partners.”

Mirella commenced in the role on 26 February.

The post MLC Life Insurance hires experienced CTO appeared first on AdviserVoice.

The appointment follows a recent announcement where Jane Murray was appointed to the dedicated role of Chief Operating Officer, and the appointment of Craig Dainton as General Manager Adviser and Customer Operations in Jane’s team in May.  The team have been brought together to oversee the significant body of work being undertaken by the business to further improve the systems, processes and industry-leading technology needed to offer an even better experience for advisers and customers, as well as superannuation funds, trustees and their members.

“Ian is a deeply experienced customer excellence specialist,” said Jane Murray, Chief Operating Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “and he’s driven successful delivery of several very large total customer experience related programs over the last decade, including with AMP, Telstra and most recently the Commonwealth Bank’s $1 billion customer service remediation program.”

Reporting to the COO, this role will be responsible for the delivery of all streams of work relating to MLC Life Insurance’s $32 million Accelerate customer experience uplift program, central to providing even better service outcomes for customers.

“Continuously improving the service experience for our customers is the top priority for MLC Life Insurance, and Ian will play an integral role in enhancing the customer experience and reviewing our touchpoints with customers and partners to make sure we can do even better as we continue to grow our business.”

“Over the last six months we’ve already seen a more than 10% reduction in call handling times for customers and advisers, along with an improvement in administration turnaround times across our customer measures.”

“Ian understands process excellence, having led large programs with significant investment in maximising the enhancement of customer processes and outcomes.”

Speaking of his appointment, Ian said, “MLC Life Insurance is one of Australia’s leading and most trusted insurers, and I’m excited to continue that tradition and to review and revise the processes and systems needed to deliver an even better total customer experience.”

Ian holds a Bachelor of Science from Monash University and attained Master Project Director with the Australian Institute of Project Management.

The post MLC Life Insurance prioritises customer excellence with senior hire appeared first on AdviserVoice.

“Appointing Arthur Tang in Queensland, and Mat Amanovich and Adam Read in New South Wales will boost our strength and experience and deliver quality interactions for our partners,” said Michael Rogers, Chief Individual Insurance Officer for MLC Life Insurance.

“Financial advisers have always been key partners for MLC Life Insurance,” he said. “Bringing in experienced industry professionals means we can continue to focus on delivering a total customer experience to our partners, and these hires are the next step in underlining the improvements in our adviser experience and part of our ongoing commitment to the health and success of the financial advice industry.”

The new hires add to an already strong bench with runs on the board.

“Our sales team has already doubled our new sales market share,” said Michael Downey, General Manager of Distribution for MLC Life Insurance, “and we’re excited for these new appointments to continue that trajectory.”

“In Arthur, Mat and Adam, we have three seasoned leaders in our industry, they’ll be a crucial part of our sales strategy which is focused on new business growth, building out our key partnerships and driving a culture of excellence.”

Adam Read brings to MLC Life Insurance more than 23 years of diversified financial services experience, including at Westpac and BT.

“I’m proud of my reputation for building trusted partnerships with some of the country’s top advice businesses, and at MLC Life Insurance I’ll continue to help financial planning practices achieve the goals of their clients and businesses,” Mr Read said.

Mat Amanovich has almost a decade of experience working in financial services including business development roles at multiple leading insurers and financial institutions, most recently at Clearview.

“MLC Life Insurance is one of Australia’s leading and most trusted insurers, and I’m proud to continue that tradition and help usher in a period of increased growth and better outcomes for advisers,” he said.

Rounding out the team in Queensland, Arthur Tang brings more than two decades of experience in financial services, having undertaken business and practice development roles with several leading insurers and financial institutions.

“I’m passionate about building trusted partnerships and helping advisers and their staff deliver exceptional outcomes for their clients, and I’m excited to do that for an insurer with such a terrific proposition for advisers,” Arthur said.

MLC Life Insurance also announced that long-time team member Ben Deslongrais will take up a promotion in Victoria, adding to the Southern Distribution team.

Ben Deslongrais, who has been working at MLC Life Insurance for 13 years and in a business development role since 2017, said of the appointment: “This new role is nine years of hard work coming to reality. I love the adviser development space and enjoy working with and embedding myself into adviser offices.”

The post MLC Life Insurance expands support for advisers with senior hires appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Andrew Beevors

MLC Life Insurance has announced a new addition to its award-winning Vivo program, the Aware questionnaire by Osara Health. This revolutionary 2-minute questionnaire is designed to encourage cancer screening and empower individuals to take control of their health, saving lives one screening at a time.

1 in 2 Australians are not meeting recommended cancer screening guidelines^[1], and MLC Life Insurance is committed to changing this statistic by giving access to the Aware questionnaire.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to improve the total customer experience,” said Andrew Beevors, Chief Claims Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “and that’s why we’re proud to deliver this extra support, complementing our award-winning Vivo program and helping bridge the gap between awareness and action when it comes to cancer screening.”

“Developed by a team of doctors, coaches, and researchers to provide a personalised approach to cancer prevention and early detection, this cancer screening questionnaire is a quick and user-friendly tool that offers valuable insights, tips, and tricks to help customers access screening services and reduce their cancer risk.”

MLC Life Insurance has made the Aware questionnaire available through Vivo to enable customers to take proactive steps towards cancer prevention and early detection, partnering with Osara Health who share the business’s commitment to improving public health and preventing cancer.

“The Aware questionnaire represents Osara’s dedication to making healthcare more accessible, personalised, and actionable,” said Dr Raghav Murali-Ganesh, Founder and CEO of Osara Health. “The mission is to empower people with the knowledge and resources they need to prioritise their health, and the Aware questionnaire is a pivotal step towards achieving this goal.”

Taking the questionnaire is quick and simple, requiring only two minutes of a customer’s time. When finished, they receive personalised results and recommendations tailored to their unique health profile. If the questionnaire results suggest eligibility for cancer screening, customers will be seamlessly guided through the process of scheduling a free consultation with an Osara Health GP.

“We’re focused on delivering an industry-leading customer experience because we know how important our promise for life is to our customers, often at the most challenging times,” said Andrew Beevors. “Our ‘here for you’ philosophy means offering a personalised, caring and supportive response.”

MLC Life Insurance is committed to promoting cancer prevention and early detection to ensure a healthier and happier future for all Australians. Also available through Vivo is the Cancer Coach program, designed to provide the right support, guidance and care to eligible customers experiencing a cancer diagnosis.

———

[1] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer-screening/national-cancer-screening-programs-participation/contents/about

The post MLC Life Insurance launches new cancer screening support appeared first on AdviserVoice.

The appointment of Jane Murray to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the appointment of Kristin Miller to the role of Chief People Officer (CPO) are part of our focus on service delivery and experience through operational excellence and development of an organisational culture that empowers employees to deliver for customers and partners.

“Delivering for our customers and partners is the single most important thing we do,” said Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer of MLC Life Insurance, “and appointing Kristin and Jane to these roles continues our journey to delivering an enhanced total customer experience at MLC Life Insurance.”

“Jane Murray has already achieved so much as part of the MLC Life Insurance Leadership Team, and she’s well-placed to deliver on the significant body of work we’re undertaking to further improve systems, processes and industry-leading technology we need to offer an even better experience for advisers and customers, as well as super funds, trustees and their members,” said Kent Griffin.

Jane Murray joined MLC Life Insurance three years ago, having previously held senior roles in companies like AXA, AMP and Victorian Funds Management, and in that time has led transformational change for the business.

“Continuously improving our operational experience for our customers and striving for operational excellence is a crucial strategic objective for MLC Life Insurance.  I’m looking forward to continuing that work to support great service experiences for our customers and partners,” said Jane Murray, Chief Operating Officer, “I’m excited to be joined by Kristin as we work together to empower our people to deliver for the business.”

Kristin is a seasoned people function leader with extensive experience in financial services across Australia and Asia, having held senior roles at Macquarie Bank, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock. Most recently, she has served as Group Executive – People & Culture at Cbus where she gained executive experience running one of Australia’s largest industry superannuation funds.

“The appointment of Kristin as CPO enables her to leverage her experience as a highly skilled business partner,” said Kent Griffin, “with expertise in developing and implementing commercial and pragmatic people and talent strategies, together with an understanding of how to develop our culture to deliver an even better total customer experience.”

“Joining the business from one of Australia’s largest industry super funds means Kristin has significant experience in developing a people and culture strategy that delivers the organisational capability through which employees are able to serve the best financial interests of fund members.”

Speaking of her appointment, Kristin Miller, Chief People Officer said, “MLC Life Insurance is one of Australia’s leading and most trusted insurers, and I’m proud to continue that tradition by improving the business’s employee value proposition and working to build the capabilities of our leaders.”

“There’s an important link between the employee experience and the customer experience, and I know that happy and empowered employees are best placed to deliver for our customers.”

The post MLC Life Insurance executive changes deliver operational and customer excellence appeared first on AdviserVoice.