Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has hosted its fourth bi-annual Mental Health Roundtable, attended by key clinical and civil society representatives to discuss trends surrounding mental health diagnosis, treatment and resilience, including the evolving role of life insurance. 

Attendees were presented with new Zurich analysis which quantifies the projected rise and impact of mental health conditions in six countries, including Australia, by 2030.

An in-depth discussion was then facilitated to explore principles and ideas for the reform of disability insurance products, with a view to specifically address current design limitations and unintended consequences for those with mental health conditions.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich said: “After the government, life insurance is the largest financial safety net for Australians with mental health conditions. Our data shows that prevalence is rising, which is putting significant pressure on individuals and their quality of life, informal and formal support networks, and the broader economy.”

“Disability insurance products are an important part of this financial safety net, however, the suitability of these products for people with mental health conditions has become increasingly challenging.”

“As we seek to innovate these products, we recognise the importance of doing so collaboratively. Our recent Roundtable was a great opportunity to collectively explore product re-design possibilities, and understand how any proposed changes could integrate with, or impact, other parts of the mental health ecosystem,” Mr Delaney said. 

Jennifer Keyes, Head of Product Innovation and Mental Fitness Impact, Gotcha4Life said: “Discussions like these are important because they help ensure the needs of people experiencing mental health challenges remain at the centre of any service design or decision-making, and that those decisions are informed by expertise and perspectives from across the mental health ecosystem.”

Michael Marthick, Director of Insurance, Spectrum.Life ANZ said: “Disability insurance has a unique reach into the lives of Australians experiencing mental health conditions. Used well, that’s a platform for genuine support – not just financial protection. Roundtables like this are how we move from good intentions to practical reform.”

Catherine Day, Advisor, It Pays to Care said: “Thank you to Zurich for opening up an important discussion about mental health challenges in Australia through the Roundtable discussion. It provided a valuable opportunity for a diverse group of people to challenge the status quo, share perspectives, and explore new approaches.”

Since its last Mental Health Roundtable in November 2025, Zurich has:

• Introduced a new social support rehab program for claimants who are vulnerable or have a mental health condition;
• Commenced a pilot using a leading mental health telemedicine provider to improve efficiency and specialist access for claimants requiring a psychiatric opinion; and
• Committed to a chronic pain management program pilot which addresses mental health as a pain modifier.

The fourth Zurich Mental Health Roundtable, held in May 2026, was attended by representatives from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Lifeline Australia, SANE Australia, Gotcha4Life, This Way Up, Bupa, Spectrum.Life and It Pays to Care.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire ClearView Wealth Limited (ClearView) via a scheme of arrangement.

The proposed acquisition has received the unanimous recommendation of ClearView Directors[1]. If the transaction is implemented, ClearView shareholders will receive cash consideration of A$0.65 per share[2], representing an equity value for ClearView of approximately A$415 million.

ClearView, an ASX-listed entity, is the parent company of Clearview Life Assurance Limited, an Australian life insurer committed to partnering with financial advisers to help Australians and their families achieve peace of mind about their future. As at 30 June 2025, the ClearView group reported A$413 million of in-force premiums.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Australia & New Zealand, said: “The proposed transaction brings together Zurich’s strong capital foundation with ClearView’s established in-market product and advice relationships and represents a clear opportunity to develop the customer experience and competitive offering in the Australian life insurance market.”

Geoff Black, Chair of ClearView, said: “We believe Zurich and ClearView are highly complementary brands in life insurance and that, if the scheme is implemented, Zurich will be a great custodian to continue delivering ClearView’s ClearChoice product that protects what is most important to Australians.”

Implementation of the proposed acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary conditions, including ClearView shareholder and court approvals.

The proposed acquisition is currently expected to be implemented around the third quarter of 2026.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has hosted its third bi-annual Mental Health Roundtable, attended by key academic, clinical and civil society representatives to discuss trends surrounding mental health diagnosis, treatment and resilience.

Attendees discussed new analysis conducted by Zurich which quantifies the health resilience of Australian communities, including specific measures of mental health diagnosis prevalence and access to care.

Representatives from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) presented academic research and the results of a recent clinical trial on the use of emotional regulation and mental health tools for the management of chronic pain.

The forum also explored key mental health trends and correlations within Zurich’s claims data, including challenges and opportunities relating to claims management and product design, with a view to improve customer outcomes.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich said: “We are witnessing a profound increase in the diagnosis and severity of mental illness in Australia. At Zurich, mental health makes up almost a third of claims for some life products and almost half of all Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) claims mention mental health as an associated struggle or secondary issue to the primary claimed condition.”

“Zurich’s Mental Health Roundtables provide an important opportunity for the broader mental health ecosystem to collaborate, exchange views and share data to drive continued progress in addressing some of the significant trends we are seeing.”

“It is also a critical avenue for facilitating the meaningful and ongoing evolution of Zurich’s products and services, ensuring we can continue to protect Australians and play a more active role in prevention and early intervention into the future,” Mr Delaney said

Since its last Mental Health Roundtable in February 2025, Zurich has:

• Piloted three new mental health support programmes for claimants which focus on improving resilience factors such as nutrition and exercise;
• Rolled out new vulnerable customer and empathy training for all claims employees; and
• Added additional mental health specialists to support its claims and underwriting teams.

Chris Gambian, Executive Director, Australians for Mental Health said: “The mental health challenges Australia faces will require us to come together and find solutions in ways we have never done before. I appreciate Zurich’s recognition that openness to new thinking, willingness to listen to diverse perspectives, and creation of spaces for discussion such as this Roundtable, are critical for an effective way forward.”

Nieves Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Suicide Prevention Australia said: “I found the Roundtable provided valuable insights to changes in community behaviour. It was particularly interesting to learn about the increasing prevalence of mental health impacting the ability of people to live a contributing life. As colleagues working in the mental health and suicide prevention sector, the data presented a different and thought-provoking perspective.”

Rheza Tan, Clinical Director, MindSpot said: “Addressing the growing burden of mental ill-health requires genuine collaboration across sectors. Partnerships between insurance, health, and research organisations are essential to driving innovation and delivering meaningful change for Australians.”

Professor Sylvia Gustin, Co-Director, Centre for Pain IMPACT, NeuRA and UNSW said: “Mental health and chronic pain are deeply interconnected and represent a significant global health challenge. In Australia alone, chronic pain affects around 20 to 30 per cent of the population, with many also experiencing co-occurring mental health concerns. Roundtables like this provide an invaluable platform to share diverse scientific, clinical and lived perspectives and to work together towards evidence-based solutions that improve wellbeing and quality of life for those affected.”

Dr Nell Norman-Nott, Clinical Research Fellow, NeuRA and UNSW said: “We appreciated the opportunity to share the successful results of our recent clinical trial on Pain and Emotion Therapy, a new evidence-based approach that focuses on the emotional experience of chronic pain. This Roundtable was an important forum to discuss how this innovative therapy can be translated into clinical practice and made more widely accessible, which we see as the next critical step in improving care for people living with chronic pain.”

The third Zurich Mental Health Roundtable, held in November 2025, was attended by representatives from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, R U OK?, Lifeline Australia, SANE Australia, MindSpot, Suicide Prevention Australia, Australians for Mental Health, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has welcomed the announcement by the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI) to formally review the Life Insurance Code of Practice (the Code).

The Code outlines the life insurance industry’s key commitments and obligations to customers on standards of practice, disclosures, and principles of conduct.

Beginning October 2025, the Code review will be conducted by Peter Kell, former Deputy Chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and former Chief Executive Officer of CHOICE.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich said: “The Code plays an important role in holding insurers to a high standard with our customers across the entire process, from how products are designed and sold, through to the claims experience.”

“The decision to review the Code and the industry’s intention that it be registered with the regulator underline’s a commitment to continually improving and achieving positive customer outcomes.”

“Zurich looks forward to working with Mr Kell and the broader industry on this important task and contributing to evolving the critical safeguards the Code provides to customers,” Mr Delaney said.

The Code was first established in 2016 was last revised and updated in July 2023, incorporating several changes across sales, underwriting, premium disclosures, claims, mental health, vulnerable customers, sanctions, clarity on navigating the Code, and the introduction of new enforceable provisions.

Following the review, the new Code is due to be implemented on 1 October 2027.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) announced it will relocate its Perth head office and secure branding rights to 140 St Georges Terrace in the city’s CBD from November 2025.

It marks the first time the signage of the 30-story office tower has changed in 50 years and will see Zurich’s Western Australia (WA) operations become more centralised.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer at Zurich said: “We are incredibly proud to see the Zurich brand become part of the Perth skyline, marking a significant milestone for our business in Western Australia.”

“Our new presence at 140 St Georges Terrace reflects our long-term commitment to the state and our local customers, partners, and people. We look forward to our relocation to the CBD and being a part of the city’s vibrant business community,” Mr Delaney said.

The skyscraper, managed by Centuria Capital Group (Centuria), was constructed in 1975 and was once the tallest office tower in Perth.

Occupying one of Perth CBD’s highest profile locations, it offers best in class facilities including lunchtime fitness classes, conference spaces, concierge services and end-of-trip amenities including bike storage, lockers, showers and change rooms.

Nick Hunt, WA General Manager, Centuria said: “Zurich and Centuria have enjoyed a long-term relationship with the global insurer also being a tenant customer at our purpose-built boutique office complex in Wyatt Street, Adelaide. We warmly welcome Zurich to its new Perth home and look forward to growing our relationship further.”

Zurich has secured an initial seven-year lease across 700sqm on Level 14 of the building.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has announced new commitments to improve its understanding of mental health conditions, including exploration of a proposed collaborative research project with attendees of its latest Mental Health Roundtable.

Alongside roundtable attendees, Zurich will explore avenues for new research into the drivers of mental illness and resilience to inform improved underwriting, claims and prevention services.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich said: “Zurich is continuing to witness the rising and profound impact of mental health conditions across our diverse customer base, with up to a quarter of applications now including mental health disclosures and more than two thirds of claims relating to mental health conditions for some products.”

The commitment to new research is in addition to several initiatives Zurich has commenced based on feedback from roundtable attendees, including:

• rolling out new mental health and vicarious trauma training for its claims team;
• consulting with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to examine the further use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to better understand the causes and drivers of mental il-health;
• appointing a Head of Health Services to lead Zurich’s medical officers and in-house psychologists to support with mental health claims; and
• updating and expanding its vulnerable customer framework.

“Zurich’s Mental Health Roundtable provides an important opportunity for the broader mental health ecosystem to collaborate, exchange views and share data to drive continued progress in addressing this growing issue.”

“It is a critical avenue for facilitating the meaningful and ongoing evolution of Zurich’s products and services, ultimately ensuring we can provide greater levels of cover to more Australians,” Mr Delaney said.

Belinda Elworthy, Chief Executive Officer, Gotcha4Life Foundation said: “Zurich’s commitment to listening and learning from those with deep and diverse expertise is a positive step towards providing better support for Australians.”

Dr Anna Brooks, Chief Research Officer, Lifeline Australia said: “Lifeline welcomes any collaborative, evidence-based and person-centred steps to improve insurance underwriting, claims and prevention services in the context of mental ill health and suicidal thinking.”

Dr Simon Benson, Clinical Director, Bupa said: “We all have a role to play in addressing mental health challenges facing our community. By combining our real-world experiences, resources, knowledge, and expertise, we can create a more comprehensive and integrated approach to care that meets the changing health and well-being needs of Australians.”

Caitlin Abbott, Health Policy Lead, Mandala said: “Mental healthcare’s changing landscape presents complex economic questions for the insurance and healthcare sectors. Mandala Partners values this opportunity to contribute economic insights that can help providers, insurers, and other members of the health ecosystem navigate these challenges while developing more sustainable models that reflect evolving consumer needs.”

Constituted in July 2024, the Zurich Mental Health Roundtable is a bi-annual forum for Zurich and broader health and civil society stakeholders to share views and experiences on key trends and insights relating to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health conditions. 

The second Zurich Mental Health Roundtable, held in February 2025, was attended by representatives from Black Dog Institute, Lifeline Australia, Gotcha4Life Foundation, Bupa and Mandala Partners.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) and Mandala Partners (Mandala) has released Australia’s first Climate Risk Index for the Australian tourism sector.

Utilising Zurich’s global exposure analysis capability, the report analyses the impact of climate change on Australia’s top tourism sites – including major airports, national parks, beaches and museums – under different Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios.

The Index – the first comprehensive, quantitative climate assessment of its kind for Australian tourism – finds that currently, half of Australia’s tourism assets are in an elevated risk category, facing considerable climate and natural peril risk.

This is set to rise to between 55 and 68 per cent of Australian tourism sites by 2050 under either an intermediate (two degrees Celsius of warming by 2041-2060) or extreme (three degrees) IPCC future climate scenario respectively. Under the more extreme scenario, 80 per cent of tourism sites will experience an increase in risk between 2025 and 2050.

Australia’s tourism industry plays an important role in the nation’s economy, contributing more than $170 billion in annual expenditure and over 620,000 jobs.

In terms of economic impact, around 30 per cent (up to 176,000) of these jobs nationally could be jeopardised – 65 per cent of which are outside our capital cities – in the event of a disaster scenario similar to that experienced following the bushfires of 2019-20.

The analysis also reveals that climate risk varies significantly by geography and site type (natural or man-made).

Queensland has both the highest number of sites facing elevated risks (79 per cent) and the most sites in the highest risk category (52 per cent) compared to any other jurisdiction. After Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have 69 per cent and 63 per cent of sites in the highest risk categories, respectively. Across the southern states, the risks were relatively lower.

By site category, the Index finds that all 31 of the busiest airports in Australia fall into the highest climate risk categories, including 94 per cent in the most extreme category, due to their geographic location and susceptibility to perils such as wind and storms.

Similarly, all of the analysed wine growing regions, botanic gardens, scenic roads & rail, and rainforests & national parks were found to be in the highest climate risk categories. Natural geological formations, museums, galleries and stadia face relatively lower risk.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Australia & New Zealand, said: “Australia’s tourism assets not only play a significant role in an increasingly diverse visitor economy but are collectively central to our national identity.”

“This analysis, conducted in partnership with Mandala, serves to highlight the critical importance of improving resilience across our tourism assets, both to ensure the sustainability and longevity of these sites and to minimise downstream economic impacts – particularly in regional areas – on employment, business formation, consumption and investment.”

“More broadly, it also serves to highlight the quantum of data and insights that are available to understand the prevailing risk environment in order to shape and prepare our collective response,” Mr Delaney said.

Adam Triggs, Partner, Mandala Partners, said: “In Australia, we have focused a lot on how to reduce carbon emissions but have focused less on how to prepare for the physical impacts of climate change that we are already seeing: tourist attractions destroyed by bushfires, tourism sites made inaccessible by floods, man-made attractions damaged by hail and airports closed because of extreme winds”.

“A key reason for Australia’s more limited focus on the physical impacts of climate change is a lack of data, and this is exactly the gap that our partnership with Zurich seeks to fill,” Dr Triggs said. 

The release of the Climate Risk Index for the tourism sector builds upon and follows a similar analysis by Zurich and Mandala on the climate risk facing the Australian energy generation sector in November 2023, the first assessment of its kind for an entire critical infrastructure asset class.

Read the report. 

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Mr Wainwright has close to 25 years’ experience in financial services and joins from Zurich in the United Kingdom (UK) where he is currently Chief Risk Officer for its Life business.

Prior to this, he has held various risk management and leadership roles at Zurich UK, Nomura Securities, Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) and Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Global Banking and Markets.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer at Zurich said: “Mr Wainwright brings a strong breadth of global experience to this role, paired with an impressive technical and leadership capability.” 

“He will play a key role in driving Zurich’s local risk strategy against a backdrop of an increasingly complex environment. We look forward to welcoming him to Zurich’s local leadership team in the new year,” Mr Delaney said.

Mr Wainwright said: “I am delighted and honoured to be joining the Zurich team in Australia and look forward to further evolving the team’s strong risk management capability.” 

Commencing 6 January 2025, Mr Wainwright will relocate from the UK to Sydney and report into Sid Medappa, Zurich’s Regional Head of Risk for Asia Pacific (APAC).

Mr Wainwright will succeed Jaimie Sach, who announced his retirement after holding the Chief Risk Officer role at Zurich since 2019 and an extensive career in the wealth industry spanning more than 30 years.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) recently convened the inaugural meeting of its Mental Health Roundtable, a bi-annual forum of key academic, clinical and civil society representatives to discuss key trends and areas for greater collaboration with the life insurance industry. 

Attendees discussed recent developments Zurich has pursued in relation to utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify key mental health factors. Recent academic research was also presented, together with an exploration of the issues contributing to a growing prevalence of mental health conditions in Australia and factors for driving improved resilience.

The forum also explored mental health-related challenges and opportunities within the life and health insurance sectors, with a view to improve customer outcomes and opportunities for greater collaboration.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Australia & New Zealand said: “Mental health is obviously a critical issue for individuals, our society and the broader economy. As a leading global insurer and one of the largest retail life insurers in Australia, Zurich continues to witness the rising and profound impact of mental health issues across the breadth of our diverse customer base.” 

“The rich discussion and shared insights from this forum are an encouraging sign. No one wants insurance to be a barrier to individuals seeking and receiving the appropriate advice or care.”

“We hope and expect this bi-annual roundtable will act as an important advisory mechanism, promoting more meaningful engagement and understanding across both the mental health and life insurance sectors to support improved resilience,” Mr Delaney said. 

Professor Alison Calear, Co-Head, Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University (ANU) said: “Research shows that the prevalence of mental health conditions continues to rise, particularly for young Australians.”

“The drivers of poor mental health and the changes required to improve it remain very complex. Forums like this are an incredibly important opportunity to share unique insights and perspectives in order to adequately address this growing issue,” Professor Calear said.

Belinda Elworthy, Chief Executive Officer, Gotcha4Life Foundation said: “In a landscape that can feel increasingly complex, it is connection, commitment and collective action that can help us to drive meaningful change. I appreciated the opportunity to come together and share insights and diverse perspectives.’

Dr Daisy Brooke, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) and Tackle Your Feelings Steering Committee member said: “The roundtable was a fantastic opportunity for stakeholders in the sector to collaborate and share insights around the evolving nature of mental health presentations in the Australian community.”

“Zurich’s ongoing commitment to host a forum dedicated to discussing research and innovation in mental health is an example of the leadership they are showing in the financial services industry,” Dr Brooke said.

Approximately one quarter of Zurich life insurance applications include a disclosure for a mental health condition. Mental health was the third most common cause for claim at Zurich in 2023, representing close to one in five claims*. For some Zurich retail life insurance products, mental health accounted for up to 35 per cent of claims, representing one of the most common reasons for claim. 

The inaugural Zurich Mental Health Roundtable was attended by:

• Professor Alison Calear, Co-Head, Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University (ANU) College of Health and Medicine
• Katherine Newton, Chief Executive Officer, R U OK?
• Jackie Hallan, Director of Service, ReachOut
• Belinda Elworthy, Chief Executive Officer, Gotcha4Life Foundation
• Dr Simon Benson, Clinical Director, Bupa
• Dr Daisy Brooke, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) and Tackle Your Feelings Steering Committee member

Zurich Executives in attendance included: Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer; Jacqui Lennon, Head of Retail; and Matt Paterson, Chief Claims Officer.

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Justin Delaney

Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich) has announced it has been awarded the ‘Employer of Choice’ citation for Gender Equality by the Australian Government Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). 

The WGEA citation recognises Australian organisations that demonstrate an active commitment to achieving gender equality based on several factors, including: leadership; learning and development; gender remuneration; initiatives that support family responsibilities; prevention of sex‑based harassment and discrimination; and targets for improving gender equality outcomes.

Justin Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich said: “Zurich has a long-standing and deep commitment to gender equality and we are honoured join the select group of organisations recognised through this important citation.”

“In recent years, Zurich has introduced several initiatives to support and promote gender equality including talent and succession programs, flexible working policies, remuneration targets and employee training. Zurich regularly tracks and reports on relevant metrics to support and inform progress in this space,” Mr Delaney said

Mary Wooldridge, Chief Executive Officer, WGEA said: “The WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation recognises an employer’s efforts to tackle the deep-rooted causes of gender inequality in the workplace.”

“The actions of these employers provide an example to others who may be wondering how they can start to address the systemic issues that limit both men and women from reaching their potential at work,” Ms Wooldridge said.

Zurich has a target to achieve 40 per cent women, 40 per cent men and 20 per cent any gender in senior leadership positions by the end of 2026.

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