Our team

Andrew joined the Insurance Council of Australia in September 2020 from the Commonwealth Bank, where he served as Executive General Manager, Corporate Affairs, for seven years. At CBA he was responsible for the management of CBA’s corporate reputation, public affairs and sustainability.

He was previously Director of Corporate and Public Affairs for Woolworths Limited for six years, overseeing a similar portfolio and participating as a member of the Management Board.

Andrew’s professional career started as a journalist in regional New South Wales in 1994, before moving to Canberra in 1996 where he worked in federal politics for 10 years as a ministerial media advisor. From 2001 to 2007 he was the Federal Director of the Nationals, leading the party as campaign director for federal elections.

His expertise in the corporate affairs profession has been recognised with admission to the Arthur W. Page Society, recognition in the International Top 50 Corporate Affairs Professionals (Salt & Shein 2014) and in the inaugural award of Top 50 Outstanding LGBTI Leaders in Australia (Deloitte 2016) for his work in leadership roles, diversity and on the Board of Equality Australia for the marriage equality campaign.

He has extensive experience in governance, both in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. He serves on the boards of Rural Aid.

Nick Hawkins became IAG’s Managing Director and CEO in November 2020. He previously held the role of Deputy CEO, accountable for the management and performance of IAG’s day-to-day operations.

Nick previously spent 12 years as IAG’s Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the financial affairs of the company.  Prior to this Nick was the Chief Executive Officer of IAG New Zealand and also held a number of roles within finance and asset management since joining the Group in 2001.

Before joining IAG, Nick was a partner with KPMG.  He is a Fellow of Chartered Accounts of Australia & New Zealand and a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program.

The Board of the Insurance Council of Australia appointed Mr Hawkins to the position of President at its December 2021 meeting.

Sue Houghton is the Chief Executive Officer of QBE Australia Pacific.

Sue is an accomplished and highly regarded senior executive with extensive experience in the financial services sector. Sue is known for her sound judgement, resilience and adaptability as well as for cultivating talent, fostering diverse and inclusive teams and driving performance.

Sue has held a number of directorships over her career and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Reading University and in 2012 completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD in France.

Sue is also a member of the Champions of Change Coalition and an Executive Director of relevant QBE Insurance Group Boards.

QBE Insurance

Paul has over 25 years of general insurance experience across a wide range of functions including pricing, product, distribution, strategy, finance and operations.

Paul joined Hollard in August 2016 as CEO of the Personal Lines division. During his time at Hollard the business has remained one of Australia’s fastest growing insurers. Paul was appointed CEO of Hollard in July 2021 and has since led the integration of the Commonwealth Bank’s general insurance business into the Hollard group.

Prior to joining Hollard he led the general insurance business at the Commonwealth Bank for seven years. Paul has also held roles at GIO, Suncorp and Quantium. Paul holds a Bachelor of Mathematics & Finance from the University of Technology, Sydney and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He is a member of the Champions of Change Coalition.

Richard Feledy joined Allianz in 2001 and has over 35 years’ experience in the insurance industry. He was appointed Managing Director in 2018, and prior to this held various senior roles across Allianz, including Deputy Managing Director and Chief Technical Officer.

Richard has been a Director of the Insurance Council of Australia since 2018, and is a member of the Champions of Change Coalition. He is also a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance & Finance (ANZIIF) and holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Richard is a respected leader in the Australian insurance industry and is known for his commitment to gender equity, diversity and belonging, and customer experience and advocacy.

Allianz Australia Limited

Natasha Fenech took over the role of Group CEO & Managing Director of Avant Mutual in September 2020.  Prior to that she was the CEO of Medical Indemnity and Deputy Group CEO since February 2019.

Before joining Avant, Natasha was the CEO of SuperConcepts (a self-managed managed superannuation administration and software business) which she grew over a 5-year period from a start-up position to the market leader. Prior to that, Natasha held several senior roles within Suncorp in both the personal and commercial insurance businesses, including as the Executive General Manager of Customer, Product and Pricing within Personal Insurance where she led the portfolio management of the Home and Motor books across 13 brands including AAMI, APIA, GIO and Suncorp Insurance.

Natasha has held various positions within the financial services industry over the last 25 years including at companies such as Citigroup, A.T. Kearney, Royal SunAlliance, Zurich, Legal & General and SGIC.

Natasha holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Mathematical Science from the University of Adelaide. She is also an Associate member of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Avant Mutual

Scott Hawkins was appointed Managing Director of Munich Holdings of Australasia Pty Limited on 1 April 2021.

Scott has more than 25 years’ experience in the Insurance and Reinsurance industry. In his current role, he is responsible for the Non-Life reinsurance operations, setting the strategic direction, maintaining the culture and values, and helping Munich Re’s customers stay ahead of emerging risks in a complex world.

Scott has previously held several roles within Munich Re including responsibility for Underwriting, Client Management, Claims and Data Analytics functions. Prior to joining Munich Re, Scott has worked in both direct insurance and reinsurance companies in underwriting, capital modelling and risk management roles.

Scott holds a Bachelor of Business degree, a Master of Business (Finance) degree, and is a Fellow of ANZIIF.

Steve Johnston was appointed Suncorp Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in September 2019. Steve joined Suncorp in 2006 and has held various executive positions. Prior to his appointment, Steve was the Group Chief Financial Officer with responsibility for financial reporting and management, legal and company secretariat, taxation, investor relations, corporate affairs and sustainability.

Steve’s previous roles include Deputy CFO and Executive General Manager Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs, and he has played a key role in the strategic and financial management of the Group including Suncorp’s rebuild following the global financial crisis.

Prior to joining Suncorp, Steve held senior positions at Telstra and the Queensland Government.
Suncorp

Justin was appointed CEO, Life and Investments, Zurich Australia in December 2019. In July 2021, this role was expanded to include the General Insurance operations of Zurich Australia and New Zealand.

With more than 25 years’ experience in financial services Justin has held executive roles across superannuation, platform, life insurance and online broking businesses and was integral to establishing and leading the Macquarie Life Insurance business.

Justin holds a Bachelor of Arts (Macquarie University), Graduate Diploma in Management, Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ram joined Auto & General in April 2012. Today this group includes Budget Direct insurance, Compare the Market in Australia and as of December 2022, iSelect Limited. An insurance business in Singapore and a Life Insurance broker business in Shanghai, China.

Ram was previously the Chief Operating Officer at the Bank of Queensland where he was responsible for Banking (Retail and Commercial), St Andrew’s Insurance (consumer credit protection) and BOQ Finance (specialist asset finance). He joined BOQ as Chief Financial Officer in 2007.

Prior to this, from 1998 to 2007 he led a variety of functions at Electronic Data Systems (EDS), a fortune 500 company listed on the NYSE, including Vice President and CFO Asia Pacific & Japan and VP Global Strategy and redesign. Ram started his post graduate work with Procter & Gamble in brand finance and progressed to business development and M&A.

Tara Page is the Chief Executive of RAA Insurance.  Prior to her appointment in 2023 Tara formerly held the position of Chief Governance and Risk Officer and Company Secretary for the RAA Group, supporting RAA Insurance through the changing regulatory and risk environment for the insurance industry.

Before joining RAA, Tara was a partner at a leading national law firm specialising in corporate law, financial services and mergers and acquisitions and participated in various industry committees and bodies, including as a member for the Takeovers Panel for 6 years. Tara holds a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) and a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Adelaide.  She also holds a graduate Diploma of Applied Finance & Investment and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tara currently also serves as a director of the Port Adelaide Football Club.

Tracey Bryan holds the dual role of Lloyd’s General Representative in Australia and Lloyd’s Head of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance Asia Pacific. Tracey and her team have responsibility for protecting Lloyd’s licences and brand, as well as developing and enhancing Lloyd’s regulatory and stakeholder relationships across the region and in the United Kingdom.  Tracey joined Lloyd’s in 2010 and has over 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry having managed claims and dispute resolution teams, conduct risk, compliance, and legislative development. Tracey holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and commenced her legal career working as principal solicitor for a Community Legal Centre, before moving into insurance in 2001, holding various managerial roles at AAMI Insurance.

Tracey also serves as a Director on the Board of Lloyd’s subsidiaries in Australia, Japan, Dubai and Lloyd’s Branch Executive Committee in India.  Tracey was also a member of the past two ICA Code Review Committees.