Lousie Eyres

Australian Ethical has announced the appointment of Louise Eyres to the board of its super fund, effective 25 March 2026.

Ms Eyres is an experienced non-executive director with extensive expertise in commercial, customer, marketing and digital strategy as the chief marketing officer in ASX, global mutual and member-based organisations as well as in federal government agencies. In her most recent executive role, Louise was Chief Marketing Officer for legalsuper.

Chair of the Board, Fiona Reynolds said: “We are delighted to welcome Louise to the Australian Ethical Superannuation Board. She brings with her significant commercial and marketing leadership experience across a range of sectors and will be a real asset to the Board as we continue to improve our member engagement and go to market strategies.”

Commenting on her appointment, Ms Eyres said, “Through my roles at ANZ, legalsuper and Vanguard, I have significant experience in superannuation and I look forward to bringing that experience to bear in a trustee capacity at Australian Ethical. Acting in our members’ best financial interest, I firmly believe that we can do well and do good, delivering award winning super.”

Ms Eyres’ appointment is part of an ongoing process of board renewal at Australian Ethical Superannuation and follows the appointment of Fiona Reynolds to Chair of the Board in August 2025, the retirement of Kate Greenhill from the Board in November 2025 and the appointment of Mark Puli in February 2026.

Fiona Reynolds concluded: “It is an exciting time to join our Board, and I know the experience Louise brings with her will further enhance the Trustee’s oversight of Australian Ethical Retail Superannuation Fund.”

Australian Ethical has announced the appointment of Mark Puli to the board of its super fund, effective 11 February 2026.

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.”

Mark Puli

As Treasury opens consultation on its draft legislation for the objective of superannuation, MLC Life Insurance has welcomed the government’s commitment to insurance in super, underlining its importance to helping Australians achieve a dignified retirement.

“The protection of life insurance is part of the promise of superannuation for the more than 24 million Australians insured through their super,” said Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer for MLC Life Insurance.

“We’ll continue to make the case for group insurance throughout any consultation on the objective of super, as we underscore the need to recognise the integral role of insurance in super and the broader retirement system.”

“The inclusion of life insurance in the explanatory memo that accompanies the objective of super is an important step in ensuring the ongoing protection of insurance in super.”

“As the government seeks to define the objective of superannuation, recognising the role of insurance in super is absolutely critical, and we’re pleased the government has seen fit to do that,” said Mr Puli.

“Default insurance cover through superannuation will continue to grow in importance as the way in which most Australians access life insurance. The group insurance system plays an essential role in the ongoing importance of Australia’s world-class superannuation system, providing a crucial safety net for working Australians.”

“Insuring the lives and livelihoods of Australians through group insurance is of the utmost focus for MLC Life Insurance,” he said, “and we continue to work closely with our superannuation partners to provide appropriate cover which helps protect members’ retirement balances from being diminished due to incapacity or interrupted work patterns because of injury or illness.”

“Put simply, public policy must enable super fund trustees to meet their core duties to members, including the provision of insurance in superannuation, which helps to protect members’ retirement.”

MLC Life Insurance welcomes the Albanese Government’s inclusion of insurance in their legislation of the objective of superannuation and encourages the government to continue to acknowledge the critical role of life insurance as part of that process.

Brett Pickett

MLC Life Insurance has stepped up its group insurance team, appointing Brett Pickett as Head of Group Pricing to deliver on the business’s plan to offer both competitive and sustainable pricing in a move to secure major new partners.

“Super funds know we’re big enough to deliver and small enough to care,” says Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer for MLC Life Insurance, “they see our great offering to their members paired with a competitive approach to pricing that’s actually sustainable.”

“Watch this space,” he says. “We have big plans in group insurance which is why we’ve built out an incredible team to deliver on our promise to trustees and their members.”

“Trustees want the best outcome for their members in a strong and competitive market, and we’re serious about providing them with a very attractive offering,” Mark Puli says.

With this senior appointment, MLC Life Insurance has reiterated the depth of its industry-leading proposition to super funds across the board, from pricing and product, to claims and technology.

“We’re continuing to leverage our rich history being the best in claims and our deep expertise in sustainable pricing,” Mark Puli says.

“There’s a reason we’re the partner and engine room behind the past two winners of ChantWest’s best fund for insurance award,” he says, “and it speaks to our deep commitment to providing expertise and insight to trustees and their members.”

Following the recent appointment of Peter Smith to Head of Business Development, Brett joins a deep bench with runs on the board in delivering for significant partners, including Woolworths and Telstra Super.

“Bringing his deep strength in Group valuation, capita and value reporting with a risk lens that ensures sustainability, Brett will work closely with Jenny Liu and comes to lead a highly experienced team that have already successfully priced a number of winning tenders.”

The appointment of Brett Pickett to Head of Group Pricing solidifies the strengths of MLC Life in using pricing to provide insights about members’ needs to trustees as well as emerging trends about the way we think about insurance needs to give value to members.

“Brett has the actuarial and economic background to help navigate tough, risky and uncertain times, to ensure innovative solutions and pricing that’s sustainable and competitive over the cycle,” Mark Puli said.

Brett Pickett brings with him a rich understanding of sustainable and competitive pricing, and a strong risk and financial background that will lift the technical abilities of the team over time, continuing the journey of advanced modern pricing techniques, and allowing MLC Life to price more effectively to the needs of trustees and their members.

Brett has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance and economics, including as head of TAL’s Group risk finance team and most recently leading TAL Australia’s strategic capital and commercial solutions.

“MLC Life Insurance have an incredible history and longevity, while offering what I think is the best proposition to super funds in market,” Brett Pickett said, “and I couldn’t be more excited to help secure more partners and deliver that promise for life to more members.”

Brett commences in the role on 24 July.

Peter Smith joins MLC Life as Head of Business Development, bringing extensive experience in leadership and business development, having previously worked in leadership roles with companies such as Resolution Life, Munich Re, Lockton and MetLife.

In previous roles, Peter has played a senior leadership role in delivering insurance solutions for funds like Hostplus, Cbus, Rest and First Super, with a strong focus on partner delivery and the total member experience.

He will be instrumental in growing the business’s group insurance distribution and executing a new business development strategy focused on the integration of a new group insurance digital capability to help super funds transform the insurance journey for their members.

“Following a period of stabilisation, we’re excited to return to focus on sustainably managing risk and growth across the business, particularly in the group insurance space,” Kent Griffin, MLC Life Insurance Chief Executive Officer said. “Peter is a key appointment to our team and shows how focused we are on demonstrating how our total customer experience benefits both trustees and superannuation fund members.”

“MLC Life has gone through a period of massive transformation,” Mark Puli, MLC Life Insurance Chief Group Officer said, “and Peter’s significant experience and outstanding commercial mindset will position us well as we continue to build a highly skilled team and offer a competitive advantage to our partners and their members.”

“Our ability to deliver an excellent member experience, including through digital integration, helps us meet and exceed the expectations of members, and Peter will help us make that case to our current and prospective partners.”

Speaking about his appointment, Peter Smith said, “As part of the global Nippon Life Group, few are better placed to understand member needs and the ethos of Australia’s industry super funds than MLC Life Insurance as the only true mutual in life insurance, and I’m looking forward to making that case to trustees.”

Mark Puli

MLC Life Insurance has been reappointed as Maritime Super’s group insurer effective 1 July 2022 and will continue to provide its members with cover for death, total and permanent disablement as well as income protection.

Maritime Super is the largest industry fund for maritime workers and is one of Australia’s longest-running super funds, supporting members for over 50 years. The Fund has more than 24,000 members, mainly from the Seafaring and Stevedoring industries, and has almost $6bn in funds under management.

Peter Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Maritime Super, said, “We are delighted to recommit with MLC Life Insurance to provide important insurance cover for our members. They have done a great job in providing a tailored insurance offer since our partnership began in 2019. We look forward to rolling out their Vivo health, wellness and recovery service, in addition to their new digital claims experience, to members in the second half of this year.

Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer, MLC Life Insurance, said the reappointment was an endorsement of the collaborative work done between both partners to support members and improve their insurance experience.

“We are thrilled Maritime Super has recommitted with us. Their passion for supporting members fits with our promise to be there for all our customers in their time of need. We look forward to continuing our support for Maritime Super through their planned merger with Hostplus to ensure a seamless transition for their members.”

MLC Life Insurance officially launched its Vivo health, wellness and recovery program earlier this week. It is designed to provide support to customers wanting to improve their health and wellbeing throughout all life stages. Members from MLC Life Insurance’s group partners will get access to Vivo over the remainder of this year and into 2023.

Mark continued: “We have bold plans to grow our presence in the group insurance market and the recommitment of partners like Maritime Super is important to support this. With the financial backing of Nippon Life and through investment in our digital claims experience and Vivo, we offer a genuine point of difference to our competitors. We are excited bring these offers to industry funds.”

Mark Puli

MLC Life Insurance welcomes the Government’s announcement of a Treasury review into the operation of the Your Future, Your Super (YFYS) Laws.

We strongly encourage Treasury to look at the impact of stapling on vulnerable people, especially women.^[1]

While positive in its intent to reduce the number of Australians with multiple superannuation accounts, in practice the reform means that members are required to be aware of the rules and take greater responsibility for decision making and therefore the consequences of their decisions will be much greater.

Sadly, according to recent research by MLC Life Insurance, a massive 60% of superannuation fund members have never heard of stapling, potentially leaving them with inadequate or no life insurance protection when they change jobs.

The impact of stapling will disproportionately impact vulnerable people, mostly women, who will have their life insurance cover ‘switched off’ if they are out of the workforce for more than 16 months (resulting from Protecting Your Super reforms). When they try to re-join the workforce, because of stapling, they must make proactive steps to obtain cover again and, in some cases, they will not have access to the cover they once had. Many are unaware of the issue and vulnerable people are far less likely to have access to financial advice.

The research shows that women are less engaged than men with their insurance. 37 per cent of women say they are engaged with their insurance, nearly 10 per cent lower than men (46 per cent).

Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer, MLC Life Insurance, said while the overall system of group insurance is delivering for Australians, reforms such as stapling need greater consideration for vulnerable people.

“The review of Your Future, Your Super is a positive development on many fronts, but the terms of the review must include insurance coverage. More than 70% of Australians hold life insurance inside superannuation. In 2021 alone, 45,000 claims worth $3.7 billion were admitted for life and TPD, providing cover for members or their beneficiaries when they needed it. The overwhelming majority of Australians value this cover.

However, as we move to a member-led, rather than employer-led system, the most vulnerable Australians will slip through the cracks. Our research shows that engagement remains an issue, and only 42% of members have ever reviewed their insurance.”

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[1] Stapling requires employers to make superannuation contributions to an existing (‘stapled’) fund for new employees unless the employee proactively requests otherwise. If new employees do not decide on a new fund, employers are no longer allowed to automatically create a new super account in the employer’s chosen fund, which includes important life insurance protection.

Mark Puli

Less than six months since the Australian Parliament implemented stapling reforms, new research^[1] from MLC Life Insurance reveals a massive 60% of superannuation fund members have never heard of them, potentially leaving them with inadequate or no life insurance protection when they change jobs.

The reforms, which came into effect on 1 November 2021, require employers to make superannuation contributions to an existing fund (‘stapled’ fund) for new employees, unless the employee decides otherwise. If new employees do not decide on a new fund, employers are no longer allowed to automatically create a new super account in the employer’s chosen fund, which includes important life insurance protection.

More than 70% of Australians hold life insurance inside superannuation. In 2021, 45,000 claims worth $3.7 billion were admitted for life and TPD, providing cover for members or their beneficiaries when they needed it.

Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer, MLC Life Insurance, said the research shows superannuation funds and their insurers must do better to explain these reforms to members.

“It’s disappointing to see most members are unaware of stapling. We understand and support the intent of these changes – to reduce the number of Australians with multiple superannuation accounts – but in practice it means people won’t have the right cover for their circumstances.

The average Australian changes jobs 12 times throughout their lifetime. In that time, they may get married, have kids, buy a home, and take on more debt. It’s imperative that members have the right cover for their needs and if they aren’t prompted to review it, they simply won’t.”

Sadly, the research shows that women are less engaged than men with their insurance. 37 per cent of women say they are engaged with their insurance, nearly 10 per cent lower than men (46 per cent). Under the reforms, if women take time out of the workforce to care for children for more than 16 months, their default life insurance is automatically switched off.

In other findings, the survey of more than 1,500 members revealed:

• The majority (83%) of Australians with insurance in superannuation said it was important, however only 42% ever review their cover.
• 43% say they do not think that the life insurance they have is right for their circumstances, and 71% say they want it to be more personalized to them, so that they only pay for what they need.
• Encouragingly for funds, 58% of members who have modified their insurance say they are more likely to stay with their fund in future. However, worryingly, only 23% are aware that they can actually do this.
• Awareness of stapling reforms is lowest amongst Gen Z, with 68% not aware of them, higher that 66% for millennials.

According to APRA’s recent data^[2] on claims handling statistics in the life insurance industry^[3], nearly 90 per cent of all Total and Permanent Disability claims and 96 per cent of all income protection claims were accepted through group insurance in the last 12 months.

Mark Puli continued: “We strongly believe in the benefits of life insurance in super and think these benefits should be available as widely as possible.

As regulatory change reshapes the industry, putting more onus on members to make an active choice about their protection needs, life insurers and superfunds must redouble their efforts to lift member engagement. Our focus has therefore been on improving the way technology is used to allow members to make changes to their cover simply, and to do so in a more transparent way.”

Read the report.

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[1] https://life-insurance-super-research.mlcinsurance.com.au/
[2] https://www.apra.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-04/Life%20Insurance%20Claims%20and%20Disputes%20Statistics%20December%202021.pdf
[3]  Life Insurance Claims and Disputes Statistics publication, covering a rolling 12-month period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021.

Starting in the role this week and based in Sydney, Chris will report directly to Emily Wu, General Manager, Fund Partnerships at MLC Life Insurance. As part of the restructure announced late last year, the Group Insurance team is now a separate, standalone function headed up by Mark Puli who is reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Rodney Cook.

Chris has deep experience in the superannuation industry, having spent nearly 13 years working at MTAA Super as an executive running the administration and operations business unit. A key remit of this role was the management of the life insurance offering to members. During this time, Chris played a leading role in advising the CEO and Board on business strategy and made a significant contribution to industry working groups during his career. Prior to MTAA, Chris held relationship management roles at Superpartners and AON.

Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer, MLC Life Insurance said: “Chris is a well-respected and admired leader in the superannuation industry, and we welcome him to our team. Chris has significant experience in the sector, and I’m confident will play a key role in strengthening our partnerships with superannuation funds this year.

“I believe we are poised to grow our presence in the market and take on the more dominant players in group insurance. Now that we are a separate, standalone function, and backed by strong talent, experience, and support from Nippon Life, we are confident we can support the needs of growing superannuation funds”.

Mark Puli was appointed Chief Group Insurance Officer in December 2021. He has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services. Most recently he was the CEO at ESSSuper since 2011, after initially joining the fund in 2009 as Chief Financial Officer. He has held senior roles at Aviva Australia, Merrill Lynch Investment Management and Mercer. His expertise includes superannuation, investment platforms, funds management, strategy and product development.

Chris Porter, Head of Fund Partnerships, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining MLC Life Insurance at this important time. I look forward to building our partnership capability this year and, ultimately, to support our group insurance offering to funds and their members.”

]]> MLC Life Insurance has appointed Chris Porter, former Executive Manager for Operations at MTAA Super (now Spirit Super), as its new Head of Fund Partnerships.

Starting in the role this week and based in Sydney, Chris will report directly to Emily Wu, General Manager, Fund Partnerships at MLC Life Insurance. As part of the restructure announced late last year, the Group Insurance team is now a separate, standalone function headed up by Mark Puli who is reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Rodney Cook.

Chris has deep experience in the superannuation industry, having spent nearly 13 years working at MTAA Super as an executive running the administration and operations business unit. A key remit of this role was the management of the life insurance offering to members. During this time, Chris played a leading role in advising the CEO and Board on business strategy and made a significant contribution to industry working groups during his career. Prior to MTAA, Chris held relationship management roles at Superpartners and AON.

Mark Puli, Chief Group Insurance Officer, MLC Life Insurance said: “Chris is a well-respected and admired leader in the superannuation industry, and we welcome him to our team. Chris has significant experience in the sector, and I’m confident will play a key role in strengthening our partnerships with superannuation funds this year.

“I believe we are poised to grow our presence in the market and take on the more dominant players in group insurance. Now that we are a separate, standalone function, and backed by strong talent, experience, and support from Nippon Life, we are confident we can support the needs of growing superannuation funds”.

Mark Puli was appointed Chief Group Insurance Officer in December 2021. He has more than 30 years’ experience in financial services. Most recently he was the CEO at ESSSuper since 2011, after initially joining the fund in 2009 as Chief Financial Officer. He has held senior roles at Aviva Australia, Merrill Lynch Investment Management and Mercer. His expertise includes superannuation, investment platforms, funds management, strategy and product development.

Chris Porter, Head of Fund Partnerships, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining MLC Life Insurance at this important time. I look forward to building our partnership capability this year and, ultimately, to support our group insurance offering to funds and their members.”

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