Scott Leney

The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Leney as President of the ANZIIF Board and Brendan Dunne as Deputy President, marking the beginning of a new chapter in leadership.

Mr. Leney brings decades of experience and a deep commitment to professional development in the insurance and finance sector.

“I am honoured to serve as President of ANZIIF, an organisation I have been proudly associated with since the early days of my career—beginning with my Fellowship studies and continuing through to my recent tenure on the Board of Directors,” said Mr. Leney.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our immediate past President, Ben Bessell, for his outstanding leadership and dedicated service as Chair since 2023.”

Mr. Leney will work closely with the Board, Deputy President Brendan Dunne, ANZIIF CEO Katrina Shanks, and the executive leadership team to deliver on ANZIIF’s strategic priorities and continue supporting members and partners across the Asia-Pacific region.

“ANZIIF plays a crucial role in championing the collective interests of our industry and delivering contemporary, relevant learning to our members across APAC. As we look to the future, I’m excited to work alongside the Board, Katrina, and the executive team to uphold and enhance the professionalism of our industry as we navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” said Mr. Dunne.

ANZIIF also extends its appreciation to Ben Bessell for his leadership and commitment during his tenure as President from 2023 to 2025. His contribution to advancing professional standards and strengthening industry engagement has been deeply valued.

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Ben has held the position of Deputy President since 20 May 2021 and accepted the Presidency when Tim Plant stepped down at the end of his two-year term. “It is a privilege to be elected President of ANZIIF, an organisation that has a critical role to play across the Asia Pacific Region. I look forward to working with the Board and Management to ensure strategic objectives are achieved and to contribute toward the ongoing professionalism of the industry”, commented Bessell.

Prue Willsford, ANZIIF CEO paid tribute to Tim Plant, “Tim has been a gracious and insightful strategic leader on our board for two years now and has seen ANZIIF through significant transition periods. The support and expertise that Tim has brought to the board has been outstanding.”

During the year, ANZIIF also welcomed Hilary Bates, Chief Operating Officer of Zurich, to the ANZIIF board.

‘We are pleased to welcome Hilary to the ANZIIF Board,’ said Willsford.  ‘She brings with her a wealth of experience and will add significant value to ANZIIF and the insurance industry,’ added Willsford.

ANZIIF Past President Megan Beer retired from the ANZIIF Board at the AGM.

“We have been very fortunate to have had Megan on the ANZIIF Board since 2015. ANZIIF and the entire team have greatly benefited from Megan’s advice, knowledge, and over 25 years of industry experience.”

2023 ANZIIF Board

• Prue Willsford, Chief Executive Officer, ANZIIF
• Ben Bessell, (President), EGM Business Distribution, Austbrokers (AUB)
• Tim Plant (Immediate Past President), Chief Insurance and Strategy Officer, IAG
• Diego Ascani, Chief Executive Officer, Sedgwick Australia
• Hilary Bates, Chief Operating Officer, Life & Investments, Zurich
• Catherine Dixon, Executive General Manager, People Experience, Suncorp Group New Zealand
• Simone Dossetor, Chief Operating Officer, Insurtech Australia
• Brendan Dunne, Chief Customer and Operations Officer, Allianz Australia
• Fiona Hayes-St Clair, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, QBE
• Kimberley Jonsson, Chief Executive Officer, CHU Underwriting Agencies
• Scott Leney (Deputy President), Head of Risk Management, Asia & Pacific and Country Corporate Officer, Australia, Marsh & McLennan Companies
• John Lyon, Chief Executive Officer, Ando Insurance

ANZIIF CEO Prue Willsford and Immediate Past President Tim Plant also recognised several award winners and members for their contribution to ANZIIF and the insurance industry.

Timothy Considine was awarded Honorary Life Membership for his long-term contribution and service to, and proactive influence within the insurance industry.

Tim has been a member of ANZIIF since 2006 and when the Insurance Broking Faculty Advisory Board was established in 2012 was asked to join and then went onto become Chair. Tim’s contribution as Chair of the Broking Faculty helped to solidify the establishment of the Faculty and promoted ANZIIF’s membership and education programs within the broking fraternity. It was also his desire to increase professionalism in the industry that drove his commitment to ANZIIF and assisted us to create our Membership Proposition.

In 2017 Tim was invited to join the ANZIIF Board as Chair of Chairs and during his tenure, his contribution on the Board was integral to the strategic direction of ANZIIF in maintaining relevance to the industry and our members.

The annual ANZIIF Service Award was presented to ANZIIF Fellow Tony Smith. Tony has been a member of ANZIIF since joining in 1982 and was invited to join the Reinsurance Faculty Advisory Board when it was established in 2012. His contribution over the years to ANZIIF has been essential to our success particularly as a Member of the Reinsurance Rendezvous Committee where he held the role of Chair.

The annual ANZIIF Service Award was presented to ANZIIF Fellow, Michael Cooke. Michael joined ANZIIF’s Claims Faculty Advisory Board in 2012 before retiring in 2022. During this time, he gave significant service to ANZIIF in a number of initiatives, particularly with the implementation of ANZIIF’s Skills Units. Michael was President of AICLA during part of this period, which allowed him to play an important role in the collaboration of the two organisations.

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Kimberley Jonsson is the Chief Executive Officer for CHU Underwriting Agencies, and a Fellow of ANZIIF. With 17 years’ experience across multiple regions, Kimberley is one of Australia’s leading specialists in Body Corporate insurance. In 2017, Kimberley was named ANZIIF’s Young Insurance Professional of the Year at the Australian Insurance Industry Awards.

‘I have always been proud of my association with ANZIIF as our industry’s peak membership and educational body,’ says Jonsson. At a time when all organizations face not only operational but also regulatory challenges, ANZIIFs commitment to promoting and enhancing the professionalism of the insurance industry is extremely important. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to ANZIIF.’

Brendan Dunne is the Chief Customer and Operations Officer at Allianz Australia, leading a team of over 2,500 people across General Insurance, IT and Security, Business and Technology Transformation, Procurement, Property and Facilities. He is passionate about delivering quality service to customers and community in moments that matter.

‘Our role in the insurance industry is to provide our customers with peace of mind so they can get on with living their lives,’ Dunne says. ‘I am excited to join the ANZIIF Board of Directors, an organisation which is committed to inspiring and educating a new generation of insurance leaders and continuing to uplift the standards for customer centricity and excellence across the industry.’

‘The ANZIIF Board strives to represent that diversity of our industry and we are delighted to have leaders of the calibre of Brendan and Kimberley to join our Board, ensuring that ANZIIF remains industry engaged and relevant to the changing needs of our broader insurance community, added Prue Willsford, CEO of ANZIIF.

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