Zurich Financial Services Australia has appointed Antony Vriens as the head of health services for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), effective Nov. 11.
Vriens will oversee Zurich’s health services for its retail and group life segments, focusing on providing customers with support across physical, mental, financial, and social wellbeing.
Vriens comes with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, having worked across Australia, New Zealand, and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
His most recent role was vice president and head of insurance technical services at Manulife Asia, where he managed underwriting, claims, and medical services, while also contributing to the company’s Asia health strategy.
“I am delighted to be leading Zurich’s health services team, which provides support to several critical areas of the business and plays an important role in driving Zurich’s continued momentum across the prevention and resilience space,” Vriens said.
He also highlighted the company’s focus on prevention and resilience.
“As a leading global insurer and one of the largest retail life insurers in Australia, Zurich has a strong reputation for its delivery of health and wellbeing solutions that support customers throughout their health journey,” Vriens said.
Vriens will be based in Sydney.
The appointment comes at a time when healthcare access is a growing concern across Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia, the Members Health Fund Alliance, a representative body for not-for-profit health insurers, is advocating for reforms to improve the accessibility, affordability, and transparency of healthcare.
Similarly, in New Zealand, healthcare access has become a major issue, according to the latest Southern Cross Healthy Futures report.
The survey, which has tracked health and wellbeing concerns since 2019, found that 84% of New Zealanders were concerned about access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, a notable increase from previous years.
