MLC Life Insurance (MLC) has appointed Mark Puli, currently chief executive of ESSSuper, as its new chief group insurance officer following an appointment spree in its retail distribution team in November.
Last month, MLC welcomed new leaders to its retail distribution team to sharpen its focus on providing better partnership support to licensees and advisers:
In late January 2022, Puli will join MLC and replace outgoing chief group insurance officer Sean Williamson.
Puli has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, with expertise including superannuation, investment platforms, funds management, strategy, and product development. Most recently, he was the CEO at ESSSuper, a position he held since 2011 after initially joining the fund in 2009 as chief financial officer. He has also held senior roles at Aviva Australia, Merrill Lynch Investment Management, and Mercer.
With the life insurance industry undergoing significant change, particularly group insurance, MLC CEO Rodney Cook and the rest of the board decided it was the right time for group insurance to become a separate, standalone division to provide even stronger support for the company's existing and future group partners.
“As a result of this proposed change, we began an extensive internal and external executive search to find the right candidate for the role. I'm delighted to welcome Mark to MLC Life Insurance. He brings a wealth of experience and an exceptional depth of understanding about superannuation, group insurance, and how to provide the best experience for members,” Cook said.
Commenting on his appointment, Puli said: “I'm thrilled to be joining MLC Life Insurance and Rodney's leadership team at this important time. Life insurance inside superannuation is a fundamental vehicle to deliver protection to millions of Australians, and I'm excited for the opportunity to grow our presence in the market.”
