Risk People Update

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MLC Life welcomes investment chief

Hiroyuki Endo is the new chief investment officer and deputy chief financial officer at MLC Life Insurance, part of the Nippon Life Insurance Group. Endo moves into the role from the general manager of the separate account investment department at Nippon Life Insurance and will move to Australia for the new role. Endo succeeds Yosuke Nakano, who is leaving to take on a new role at Nippon Life in India.

ClearView Wealth welcomes CEO

After Simon Swanson announced his intention to retire, Nadine Gooderick was appointed chief executive at ClearView Wealth. Swason is retiring after 12 years with the company.

Integrity Life appoints two senior underwriters

Matt Pereira-Smith and Mervyn Lam are now senior underwriters at Integrity Life. Both are experienced industry professionals, with Pereira-Smith a member of subcommittees for the Australasian Life Underwriting Claims Association and Lam moving into the role from AIA Australia.

Adviser Ratings 2023 Adviser Choice Awards

Adviser Ratings has announced the life insurance Adviser Choice awards. The awards are based on over 3,000 adviser comments. Adviser Ratings also reports that financial adviser numbers are stabilising, in the 2023 Australian Financial Advice Landscape report.

The category winners are:

  • Best Retail Life Insurer – PPS Mutual (Finalists: NEOS and Zurich)

  • Ease of Underwriting – NEOS (Finalists: PPS Mutual and ClearView)

  • Best Platform Functionality – NEOS (Finalists: Zurich and PPS Mutual)

  • Competitiveness of Product – PPS Mutual (Finalists: NEOS and TAL)

  • Comprehensiveness of Modules – PPS Mutual (Finalists: NEOS and MetLife)

  • Best Adviser Support – NEOS (Finalists: PPS Mutual and Zurich)

  • Best Claims Handling – NEOS (Finalists: PPS Mutual and Zurich)

  • Most Consistent Retail Life Insurer – Zurich Insurance Group

  • Most Improved Retail Life Insurer – TAL

AFCA welcomes lead ombudsman of investments and advice

Shail Singh is now the Australian Financial Complaints Authority's (AFCA's) lead ombudsman, investments and advice after acting in the role for 16 months.

Singh was an original AFCA ombudsman as of 2018, being promoted to senior ombudsman of investments and advice in 2021. He became acting lead ombudsman in January 2023 after Natalie Cameron was appointed lead ombudsman for banking and finance.