Ex-BNZ chief, Daiichi director joins TAL board

Binaya Dahal

Journalist

5 June 2026

Life insurer TAL has appointed former Bank of New Zealand chief executive Angela Mentis and Daiichi Life’s director Akifumi Kai to its board, marking the latest governance changes since David Cohen took over as chair last year.

The appointments announced on Thursday will see Mentis join the board as an independent non-executive director, while Kai will assume the role of non-executive director. The changes coincide with the retirement of Christine Bartlett, who served as an independent non-executive director for more than nine years.

Mentis brings almost four decades of experience across banking and financial services, including senior leadership roles at National Australia Bank, where she oversaw business banking and later the lender’s digital, data and analytics functions.

She also held executive positions at Westpac, BT Financial Group and Citibank before becoming chief executive of BNZ.

Kai also brings extensive experience in corporate strategy and business development across Japanese and global financial institutions.

Over his career at Daiichi Life Group, which acquired TAL in 2011, Kai has held a series of senior strategy and planning roles and was recently promoted to managing executive officer and head of international life insurance.

Chair Cohen said Mentis’s experience in digital transformation and customer strategy, combined with Kai’s background in corporate development and international business, would support the company’s next phase of growth.

“Together, their complementary experience will be a tremendous asset to TAL as we continue to grow and evolve the way we serve Australians, their families and communities,” he said.

Chief executive Fiona Macgregor said the appointments would strengthen the insurer’s leadership as it pursues strategic and operational priorities across the business.

“We very much look forward to the perspective and counsel that both Angela and Akifumi will bring,” she said.