Matthew O’Sullivan

With just two weeks remaining, the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) is excited to announce that Matthew O’Sullivan, Chief Underwriting Officer of General Insurance at Zurich Australia & New Zealand, will join the panel for The Great Insurance Showdown at the 37th General Insurance Breakfast.

“Our inaugural debate promises a high-energy morning of insight and industry-leading perspectives,” says ANZIIF CEO Katrina Shanks.

“I can’t wait to hear brokers, insurers and agencies face off to argue which sector is really running the show!”

Happening Wednesday, 16 July, at Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney, the event will gather decision-makers for a dynamic discussion on the power shifts and challenges shaping general insurance.

Matthew O’Sullivan brings over 20 years of underwriting, broking, and reinsurance experience. He has held senior roles at Munich Re, Aon Benfield, and since 2014, Zurich, where he leads underwriting strategy across Australia and New Zealand.

He is a Fellow of ANZIIF and a Certified Insurance Professional, with a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney and an MBA from Macquarie University.

The debate will be moderated by Kim Jonsson, CEO of CHU Underwriting, and joining Matthew O’Sullivan on the panel are:

• Richard Klipin, CEO, NIBA
• Jenny Bax, CEO, UAC

This year’s GI Breakfast event will also include a regulatory update from Alexandra Hordern, General Manager Regulatory and Consumer Policy at the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), who will deliver timely insights on the policy landscape.

Event Details: Wednesday, 16 July 2025 – Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney

“We’re looking forward to providing the industry with a networking experience that’s both informative and genuinely energising,” Shanks adds.

The post ANZIIF announces Matthew O’Sullivan to join the Great Insurance Showdown Breakfast Debate appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Richard Klipin, FSC CEO, said, “Just a few weeks out from what promises to be a fascinating election, we are delighted to welcome three remarkable politicians as speakers at this year’s conference.

“In particular having the Minister of Finance and his Labour counterpart speaking on successive days promises to deliver an intriguing insight into National and Labour’s campaign thinking on major sector issues such as KiwiSaver and tax policy.”

Hon Stephen Joyce, Minister of Finance and Minister of Infrastructure will be speaking on Thursday 7 September at 9.30am.

Grant Robertson, Labour’s spokesperson for Finance, Employment and Arts, Culture and Heritage will be speaking on Friday 8^th September at 10.15am.

Hon Jacqui Dean, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Minister of Small Business and Associate Minister for Local Government and ACC will be speaking at the Gala Dinner on Thursday 7th September. Ms Dean will also be presenting the industry awards at the Gala Dinner on 7 September.

For more information about the event and to discover the full conference programme, visit the event website  or visit the Facebook page.

The post Politics Live at the New Zealand FSC and Workplace Savings Conference appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Jenny Brown

I’d love to see you and welcome you to fascinating Canberra, our nation’s capital for the AFA 2016 National Adviser Conference, the jewel in the crown for the AFA – October 5-7, 2016.

As a practising adviser, this Conference is always the highlight of my year and I look forward to it as a chance to hear, watch and learn from the best, as well as to catch up with colleagues and friends.

This year’s conference is about ‘Adaptive Change – taking advice beyond the horizon’ and as advisers we need to accept the challenge to think differently, to evolve and to be better prepared for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

The AFA has been working tirelessly to be more effective in delivering value for members by improving the positioning and relevance of our association, the results of which will be on show at the conference – whether it has been raising adviser professionalism, stronger relationships and influence with Government, an industry-leading professional education pathway, or the building of a voice to consumers through Your Best Interests – the AFA has laid a strong platform for the future.

As preparations for the 2016 AFA National Adviser Conference approach the final stages, we are absolutely thrilled to be able to bring some amazing keynote speakers to the stage including;

• The Hon John Howard OA AC – Political Leadership
• Dr Ric Charlesworth – High-Performance Leadership
• Dr Adam Fraser – Peak Performance Without the Collateral Damage
• Tony Bongiorno – MDRT Learnings from Around the World
• Dr Jason Mitchell – Academic Leadership
• Brian Freeman – Humanitarian Leadership
• Dr Jason Mitchell, Professor of Psychology Harvard University
• Graham Rich, PortfolioConstruction Forum
• Stephen Halmarick, Chief Economist CFS Global Asset Management
• Joanne Earl, Associate Professor Flinders Business School
• David Reed, Adviser of the Year
• Paul Kearney, Practice of the Year
• Over 30 AFA Members sharing their best practice
• Brad Fox, Scott Moffit, Richard Klipin, Terry Rhodes, Dave Slovinec – Growing the demand for insurance

We have 3 amazing masterclasses from our communities of practice to explore more opportunities;

• Inspire with Margie Warrell
• Genxt with Dr Ric Charlesworth
• Leaders Forum – The AFA community of ideas and sharing

These world class speakers are augmented by a plethora of awesome advisers from our AFA community who are all willing to share the insights, skills and knowledge that they have applied to their own advice practices to ensure they are future proofed and ready to thrive as financial advice is taken beyond the horizon.

The conference committee has listened to members’ feedback and worked hard to build a program that blends exceptional technical knowledge with practical implementation based upon the AFA adviser learning pillars:

• Business Performance
• Adviser Performance
• Advice Strategies
• Professionalism and Learning

Our goal is to provide you with inspiration and load you up with the best ideas, strategies and the tools to implement those ideas to ensure that you can deliver exceptional service for your clients, helping them understand your advice strategies and how you can work with them to build and lead better lives. After all, everything we do is to put our clients and their families into a better situation, to be their trusted adviser.

Also, back by popular demand are our ‘Meet the Professionals’ and ‘Meet the Innovators’ round-table discussions.

With more advisers than ever now choosing to belong to the AFA, we are proud that there is more adviser input to this year’s conference agenda. Hearing from our peers we have always found to be incredibly worthwhile, and remembering that the smartest person in the room may not be the person on stage, it could be the person sitting next to you, or at lunch, or at the dinner function, you will hear a multitude of stories or how advisers solve our client’s problems, how they refine their skills, and we can even learn from their mistakes. Advisers have a unique perspective on the operation of the financial advice profession and all of this knowledge and ongoing learning can be captured and shared for the benefit of all.

So my question to you is, “What is holding you back from taking the next step forward in how you provide advice, how you improve your client experience and client outcomes, and your own profitability?” My bet is the answers can be found at the AFA National Adviser Conference.

But have you booked yet? The answers won’t come to you; you need to come to Conference to get them. In the absence of taking action, nothing will change, so click on to www.afaconference.com.au and register.

Whether you are a new adviser, a practice owner or an employed adviser, this will be a conference to help equip you to serve your client’s needs better, to prepare you for the opportunities ahead and help you take your financial advice beyond the horizon.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in Canberra.

Jenny Brown, Conference Co-Chair

The post Are you ready to take your advice practice beyond the horizon? appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Sovereign Assurance is a New Zealand financial services company and the country’s largest life insurer with 29 per cent market share of in-force premiums.

“Sovereign Assurance is leading change and innovation in the New Zealand insurance industry by growing the market, making a more meaningful difference to the lives of customers and achieving greater impact in the community,” Mr Klipin said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of their leadership team, driving transformation and growth within the New Zealand financial services market.”

Mr Klipin has over 20 years experience in financial services and recently departed Millennium 3 Financial Services (Millennium 3), where he served as CEO for three years, following a restructure of the business.

“I had the privilege of leading Millennium 3 on a journey of transformation and leadership succession,” he said. “I’m proud of the progress we made as we transformed the business, culture and community of Millennium 3 and set up a platform for growth in a challenging environment. Millennium 3 is a fantastic business with some of the best advisers and most evolved business models in the country. It was a pleasure to work closely with so many of them and I wish them and the business well in their future endeavours.”

Mr Klipin said he is looking forward to starting the next chapter of his career across the Tasman. “I welcome the challenges and adventures that await as I relocate with my family to New Zealand in the coming months,” he said.

The post Sovereign Assurance, NZ appoints chief distribution officer appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Making the announcement today, AFA President, Michael Nowak, said Mr Fox has played a pivotal role in helping to shape the AFA over the past five years and will continue to build on the association’s success.

“Brad has represented the AFA with distinction in a number of key capacities,” Mr Nowak  said. “He has been a member of the Board since 2007 and became the inaugural chair of the AFA’s GenXt initiative, leading and inspiring new entrants to the profession. Brad was also a winner of the AFA Rising Star Award in 2008.”

Mr Nowak said that as President, Mr Fox was part of the team that represented advisers and their clients in Canberra right throughout the FOFA reform process and, having been an adviser himself, has an up close and personal insight into the needs and concerns of the advice community.

“Brad’s experience means he genuinely understands the challenges facing financial advice business owners and how that impacts on consumers,” Mr Nowak said. “To date he has played a significant role in the advice industry. He is the right person to lead the AFA into the future and the AFA Board and staff are extremely excited to be working with him.”

Before becoming an adviser Mr Fox was the Victorian General Manager of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club.

“This was a role that required a similar skill set to that of AFA CEO in that it was about representing members, providing industry leading events, working with corporate partners and liaising with media and other key stakeholders,” Mr Nowak said. 

Mr Fox is also a former professional AFL player for the Essendon and Richmond Football Clubs.

Mr Fox expressed his excitement in accepting the key industry leadership position. “I have been very fortunate to work with great leaders throughout my life and I look forward to applying my skills for and on behalf of the advice industry,” he said. “I am passionate about the need for more Australians to receive life changing financial advice.  Leading the AFA is a great opportunity to help the advice profession influence, educate and change consumer behaviours around building, managing and protecting wealth.”

Mr Fox will formally take up the position of CEO on 14th January 2013.

The post Brad Fox Appointed AFA CEO appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Minister Shorten released draft legislation this morning which restricts the use of the terms ‘financial adviser’ and ‘financial planner’.  The legislation will limit the use of these terms to people who have an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) or who are authorised by someone who has an AFSL.

AFA CEO, Richard Klipin said enshrining the term financial adviser is a win for consumers and the professional advisers who serve them. It will help protect consumers from unlicensed advisers, who, under the new legislation, will be prohibited from using the term.

“This will go a long way towards protecting consumers from unlicensed operators who have until now been able to call themselves financial advisers,” Mr Klipin said. “Consumers will now know that the people they seek advice from are genuine financial advisers, who are licensed or authorised to provide financial product advice.”

AFA President, Michael Nowak, said the proposed legislation is a win for the industry.  “It is a particularly good outcome for the financial advice industry,” he said. “Advisers can now use the term ‘financial adviser’, confident in the knowledge that consumers will understand that they are licensed or authorised to provide financial product advice.”

The AFA’s Back to Basics research released in 2010 demonstrated that while people who are in an advice relationship are better off financially; happier, more engaged with their finances and have a feeling of certainty and control over their financial future, only around two in 10 currently get advice.

“This may have something to do with the fact that consumers don’t know who to trust when it comes to financial advice,” Mr Nowak said. “Enshrining the term financial adviser will help resolve that issue.”

Mr Klipin also acknowledged the consultative approach the Government had taken.

“What the industry now has is a very practical solution which will help raise the perception of the financial advice profession and help restore consumer confidence in financial advisers,” he said. “We look forward to working with the Government to finalise this legislation and to see it passed by the parliament into law.”

The post AFA Congratulates Minister Shorten on Consumer Protection appeared first on AdviserVoice.

AFA National President, Michael Nowak said, “Richard has led the AFA on a remarkable journey of transformation over the past seven years. He has built the AFA into a strong adviser association which leads the market with its clear and authentic advocacy work, its ground-breaking GenXt platform which has nurtured the future leaders of advice into the industry, and its powerful, collaborative community that draws together all parts of the market place.”

Mr Nowak also said Mr Klipin has developed a very strong leadership team. “The AFA now has a strong National Board, robust committee structures and working groups, a strong media voice and partnership offer, engagement with all parts of government, regulators and stakeholders, as well as a growing presence in education,” Mr Nowak said.

Mr Klipin said it has been an honour to lead the AFA.

“The decision to leave has been a very difficult one personally, however after almost seven fantastic years as CEO, it is time to pass the baton,” he said. “I leave with a great sense of pride. The passion, professionalism and the culture of the AFA community is outstanding, and I know that the future is in great hands.”

AFA Treasurer and immediate-past President Brad Fox, who will step in as interim CEO, said Mr Klipin has been an outstanding leader for the AFA and the profession.

“The AFA is well respected by all stakeholders. We are involved in all issues impacting advice, advisers and consumers, and we are known for our clear, consistent and authentic voice in all the key debates,” he said. “Richard will be missed, but his legacy will endure.”
 
Mr Nowak said a recruitment search is currently underway but in the meantime, it is business as usual at the AFA.

“The interim CEO, Brad Fox has the experience and skill set to continue the AFA’s momentum in membership growth, education delivery and bringing value to corporate partnerships,” he said. “He has the leadership skills that will prove so vital to the profession as the Future of Financial Advice reforms are implemented.”

Mr Nowak said Mr Klipin therefore leaves the AFA in very capable hands. “With a new National Board in place and a strong management team, the AFA will continue to lead the profession forward into the future,” he said.

The post AFA CEO Richard Klipin Resigns appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Pathways to Excellence reveals insights from 18 leading advisory practices participating in the Beddoes Institute’s Leading Practices Program and 960 client experience surveys to discover what consumers value most in their adviser relationships and how the industry’s best practices are meeting their clients’ needs.

AFA CEO Richard Klipin said that over the past 10 years the AFA has, via the AFA Adviser of the Year Award (the Award), seen outstanding submissions from leading advisers and practices within the industry, representing thousands of clients and client experiences.

“The Award, which Zurich has supported since inception, is about shining a light on advisers who are driving the quality of the profession,” he said. “After doing so for a decade, the time is right to share the DNA of the best advisory practices in Australia and use these learnings to build a stronger, more robust profession.”

The Beddoes Institute’s Dr Rebecca Sheils said the Leading Practices Program produced research that revealed societal issues such as media perception, trust, and concerns about adviser educational qualifications were washed away when consumers actually sat down with a financial adviser.

“Clients’ perceptions of what a financial adviser is and what an adviser can do for them was completely recalibrated once they met with one,” she said. “This was reflected in a high referral rate, higher than any other industry we have looked at, and high levels of satisfaction with advisers as clients then continued to journey with their advisers for several years.”

The research provides the industry with a blueprint for advisers to follow in order to become a leading financial advice practice. This blueprint indicates that the industry needs to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to:

1.Enhancing the qualities and attributes of advisers
2.Enhancing the client experience during the advice process with new clients
3.Optimising the service proposition
4.Providing transparency and visibility around fees

“Practices that follow the blueprint have enormous success with their clients, which translates into positive business outcomes for their practices,” Mr Klipin said.

Marc Fabris, Zurich Financial Services (Zurich) National Manager, Sales Strategies and Research – Life Risk, said Zurich is delighted to have been involved with the AFA Financial Adviser of the Year Award since inception 10 years ago.

“It is the Award which ultimately led to the research,” he said. “In 10 years, we’ve seen the Awarditself grow and we have seen advisers and their practices grow. The Award methodology and processes have also grown stronger every year. We’ve seen the introduction of greater benchmarking and client surveying and the involvement of the Beddoes Institute has been a great addition to that process.”

To read the report, click here.

The post AFA launches Pathways to Excellence white paper appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Introducing new and familiar faces at the AFA National Conference on the Gold Coast today, AFA CEO Richard Klipin said the incoming Board is a powerful blend of youth and experience.

“The AFA continues to move with the times and the new Board is a reflection of generational change and nurtured succession,” he said. “It is a strong team, with strong direction and clear thinking.”

Many members of the new Board have been involved with the AFA through the AFA’s GenXt program.

“It is exciting to see these people stepping up their involvement,” Mr Klipin said. “They bring a fresh approach and new thinking, and are also steeped in the AFA’s strong tradition of ‘by adviser, for adviser’.”

The AFA’s new President, Michael Nowak, is a Rising Star finalist, a former GenXt QLD chair and a new father.  A financial adviser and Director of financial advice practice, Joe Nowak Financial Services Group (licensed through Millennium 3), Mr Nowak has a long financial advice pedigree – his father is legendary adviser Joe Nowak and his brother, Joseph, also works as an adviser in the business.

Mr Klipin paid tribute to outgoing board members and to Brad Fox’s contributions as President.  “We thank the 2010-12 Board for their outstanding work in what were and continue to be tumultuous times for the industry,” he said. “The previous Board helped steer the AFA through mammoth changes and we are delighted that outgoing President Brad Fox will remain as Treasurer so that the AFA can continue to benefit from his wealth of experience.”

Mr Klipin said the new Board will continue to be supported by a strong head office and key partners.

The 2012-2014 AFA Board
President – Michael Nowak
Vice President – Marc Bineham – Steps up from his current role as NSW Director
Treasurer – Brad Fox
COO – Phil Anderson
CEO- Richard Klipin
 
State Directors 
NSW- Mark Hoskin
VIC- Esther Althaus  – incumbent
QLD- Susie Paterson – Long time AFA member, former chair of MDRT QLD
SA-Dave Slovenic – Gent chair for SA
WA- Kenn Williams- incumbent
TAS- Kevin Richardson – incumbent
 
National GenXt Chair – Fraser Jack

The post AFA welcomes new Board appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Pathways to Excellence reveals insights from 18 leading advisory practices participating in the Beddoes Institute’s Leading Practices Program and 960 client experience surveys to discover what consumers value most in their adviser relationships and how the industry’s best practices are meeting their clients’ needs.

AFA CEO Richard Klipin said that over the past 10 years the AFA has, via the AFA Adviser of the Year Award (the Award), seen outstanding submissions from leading advisers and practices within the industry, representing thousands of clients and client experiences.

“The Award, which Zurich has supported since inception, is about shining a light on advisers who are driving the quality of the profession,” he said. “After doing so for a decade, the time is right to share the DNA of the best advisory practices in Australia and use these learnings to build a stronger, more robust profession.”

The Beddoes Institute’s Dr Rebecca Sheils said the Leading Practices Program produced research that revealed societal issues such as media perception, trust, and concerns about adviser educational qualifications were washed away when consumers actually sat down with a financial adviser.

“Clients’ perceptions of what a financial adviser is and what an adviser can do for them was completely recalibrated once they met with one,” she said.  “This was reflected in a high referral rate, higher than any other industry we have looked at, and high levels of satisfaction with advisers as clients then continued to journey with their advisers for several years.”

The research provides the industry with a blueprint for advisers to follow in order to become a leading financial advice practice. This blueprint indicates that the industry needs to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to:

1. Enhancing the qualities and attributes of advisers
2. Enhancing the client experience during the advice process with new clients
3. Optimising the service proposition
4. Providing transparency and visibility around fees

“Practices that follow the blueprint have enormous success with their clients, which translates into positive business outcomes for their practices,” Mr Klipin said.

Marc Fabris, Zurich Financial Services (Zurich) National Manager, Sales Strategies and Research – Life Risk, said Zurich is delighted to have been involved with the AFA Financial Adviser of the Year Award since inception 10 years ago.

“It is the Award which ultimately led to the research,” he said. “In 10 years, we’ve seen the Award itself grow and we have seen advisers and their practices grow. The Award methodology and processes have also grown stronger every year. We’ve seen the introduction of greater benchmarking and client surveying and the involvement of the Beddoes Institute has been a great addition to that process.”

To read the research report, click here.

The post AFA on pathway to excellence to discover what consumers want appeared first on AdviserVoice.