Life insurance specialist AIA Australia has appointed a senior industry executive to a newly created role.
Ben Walsh, currently managing director and CEO of Australia and New Zealand, will become chief life insurance officer of AIA Australia on June 01, and will drive the direction of the life insurance arm of the business, which includes CommInsure Life.
Walsh will be part of the executive team, reporting to Damien Mu, chief executive and managing director of AIA Australia and New Zealand.
The experienced industry executive previously worked at Mercer and its sister company Marsh for more than 25 years, most recently as managing director and CEO of Australia and New Zealand where he was responsible for delivering the firm’s business segments of health, wealth, and career. He was also chief country officer of Mercer’s parent, Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), and director of five Mercer boards across Australia and New Zealand, including the trustee of the $25 billion in funds under management Mercer Master Trust.
“We’re thrilled to have secured such a high-calibre leader in Ben, who joins the AIA family with decades of experience and a shared passion for purpose and making a difference in peoples’ lives,” Mu said. “We have a unique customer value proposition of life, health, and wellbeing and each of those pillars is fundamental to our shared value model. In heading up the life pillar of the business, Ben will pay a key role in helping us realise our vision of making Australia and New Zealand the healthiest and best protected nations in the world. As the business continues to grow, Ben’s leadership and expertise will allow us to deliver greater value in life insurance, further strengthening our leadership by identifying and investing in innovative ways to meet evolving customer needs and expectations.”
