Christine Cupitt

Eight women working across life insurance have been selected for a new leadership program designed to strengthen the industry’s pipeline of future leaders.

The Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) today named the inaugural recipients of its ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Pathway, delivered in partnership with Future Women.

The women work across advice, claims, underwriting, legal services, and product development, bringing firsthand experience of the decisions that matter to customers.

“The future of life insurance depends on the talent we back today,” CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said.

“ReCALIbrate will give these women the support to take the next step in leadership and put their ideas into practice.”

Ms Cupitt said CALI expected the program to reach and teach beyond those on it.

“When we back women to lead, we back the people they mentor, the teams they build, and the customers they serve.”

Among the recipients is TAL Senior Product Manager Viraj Mody, whose application highlighted the challenge of keeping long-term insurance products relevant as customers’ lives, medical treatments, and working patterns change.

Zurich Technical Underwriting Lead Honor Grant-Hennessy emphasised the need to balance innovation with human judgement.

AIA Senior Legal Counsel Madeleine Merriman hopes to turn her legal experience and advocacy into broader leadership influence that will improve outcomes for customers experiencing vulnerability, including those affected by family and domestic violence.

Each recipient will receive Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders program plus a 12-month Future Women membership, including career planning tools, expert-led masterclasses, group mentoring, and networking.

The program also includes a virtual ticket to Future Women’s Leadership Summit in March 2027 and a ticket to CALI’s next conference.

Future Women founder and Managing Director Helen McCabe said the partnership would help experienced women translate expertise into influence.

“These women have already shown what they can do. We want to help them take that further and create opportunities for themselves and others to follow,” Ms McCabe said.

“Having people who challenge your thinking, share their experience, and back your ambition can change the direction of your career.”

The eight recipients are:

• Amity McCarthy, Head of Claims, NobleOak, Sydney.
• Cass Reifenstein, Senior Product Manager, ClearView, Sydney.
• Charlotte Gee, Technical and Capability Manager, TAL, Melbourne.
• Honor Grant-Hennessy, Technical Underwriting Lead, Zurich, Sydney.
• Madeleine Merriman, Senior Legal Counsel, AIA, Brisbane.
• Nga Vu, Financial Adviser, Lautum Life, Melbourne.
• Touk Phanthana, Head of Retention and Customer Experience, Acenda Life, Melbourne.
• Viraj Mody, Senior Product Manager, TAL, Sydney.

CALI doubled ReCALIbrate to ten opportunities in 2026, extending its support from women in financial risk advice to women across life insurance.

The eight leadership program recipients join Aisha Elnour and Kristen Agius, who were previously awarded ReCALIbrate adviser grants to attend the 2026 FAAA Congress.

The post CALI backs leading women to shape the future of life insurance appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Cupitt

Ten career-shaping opportunities are now available for women working across life insurance and financial risk advice, as the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) doubles and expands its popular ReCALIbrate annual program.

Applications are now open for ReCALIbrate 2026, inviting all women working in life insurance to shape what comes next in their careers and their industry.

The expanded program includes $4,000 in FAAA Congress grants and eight places in the ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program, which includes membership to Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders program.

CALI CEO Christine Cupitt said the expanded program would help more women shape their careers by offering a new pathway to professional success.

“The future of life insurance and financial risk advice will be shaped by the people we back today,” Ms Cupitt said.

“Women across life insurance and financial risk advice have the talent and ambition to lead.

“By doubling and expanding ReCALIbrate in 2026, we are giving twice as many women across our industry the opportunity to build their skills, strengthen their networks, and advance their careers.

“This is an investment in women and their ideas, perspectives, and leadership that will help shape the future of our industry,” Ms Cupitt said.

ReCALIbrate 2026 offers two pathways:

• Two $2,000 FAAA Congress grants for women working in financial risk advice. The funding can be used for registration, travel, accommodation, childcare, and other costs that support recipients to attend the Congress.
• Eight places in the ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program for women working across life insurance. Each place includes a 12-month membership to Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders program.

The FW program includes career planning, expert-led masterclasses, group mentoring, peer learning and networking, a virtual ticket to FW’s Leadership Summit in March 2027, and invitations to CALI events including a complimentary ticket to CALI’s next conference.

FW founder and Managing Director Helen McCabe said the partnership would help women turn career ambition into action.

“Your future is shaped by the opportunities you can see and the support you have to seize them,” Ms McCabe said.

“ReCALIbrate combines practical development, mentoring, and an ambitious peer network to help women turn capability into influence.

“These women will not wait for the future of their industry to be decided. They will help shape it.”

The 2026 FAAA Congress will be held in Melbourne from 24-26 November under the theme Explore.

“Congress is a fantastic opportunity to share new ideas that shape the future of risk advice. We are excited to welcome our ReCALIbrate participants again this year and help them explore what is possible for them, their clients, and the advice profession,” said FAAA CEO Sarah Abood.

Women are invited to apply for both pathways, with applications open today and closing 27 September 2026. Recipients will be announced in early October 2026.

All eligible women are encouraged to apply at https://cali.org.au/recalibrate/

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