Yates is an experienced director, serving on the AIA Australia Board for over 10 years and as deputy chair since 2016. He is also a director of Linfox Australia Pty Ltd and Mutual Trust Pty Ltd.
He is the chairman of the Royal Institution of Australia, the Australian Science Media Centre, the Faculty of Business and Economics at Melbourne University, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, the Shared Value Project and the NHMRC Centre for Personalised Immunology at ANU, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication.
In the June 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Yates was awarded a member of the Order of Australia for service to education; the financial services industry; and arts, science, and charitable organisations.
In 2017, he was made a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). He was also awarded the Australian Academy of Science Medal for 2019.
The latest appointment will allow Gattung to focus on the New Zealand business and other interests, following 12 years with AIA Australia after joining as an independent director in 2009 and chair in 2010.
AIA Australia chief executive officer and managing director Damien Mu commented: “On behalf of AIA, we are extremely pleased to have Peter take over as chair of the AIA Australia Board, following his role as deputy chair. Peter has a wealth of experience and knowledge that we have benefited from, and we look forward to the next phase of the journey.
“I also want to recognise and thank Ms Theresa Gattung for the outstanding role she played in helping steer AIA Australia over the past 12 years, which included a number of significant milestones for the business, including the launch of AIA Vitality.
“Ms Gattung's business experience, leadership, and commitment to AIA's philosophy of doing the right thing in the right way have been a true asset, and no doubt will continue to make an ongoing and positive difference to the AIA New Zealand business.”
Commenting on his appointment, Yates said: “Having served as deputy chair of AIA and chair of CommInsure Life, it's a privilege to now lead AIA Australia as chair. There are significant opportunities ahead, including AIA's ongoing role as a champion of shared value, as well as the next phase of our journey to help Australians live healthier, longer, better lives.”
