MLC Life secures new executive appointments

MLC Life Insurance has filled two new senior executive roles to drive its next phase of growth and strategy, with Gerard Kerr appointed Chief Executive Individual Business and Jane McGovern as Chief Customer and Strategy Officer.

Kerr joins most recently from ClearView, where he held the position of Group Executive – Life Insurance, and brings over 25 years of industry experience after also enjoying senior roles at Zurich, ANZ Wealth (now OnePath Life) and Asteron.

“MLC Life Insurance is a great business with big ambitions. I’ve been tasked with putting advisers at the centre of our retail business and I’m excited to work with an incredible team and join an already stellar effort happening in this space,” Kerr said.

“I think MLC Life Insurance have an incredible offering for advisers, and the backing of Nippon Life makes that offering even stronger,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting out and talking to advisers about how we can help them and their clients.”

McGovern first joined MLC Life Insurance in 2022 in the role of Chief Risk Officer. Her previous roles include Chief Risk Officer of Zurich Australia, Group Executive, Risk and Governance at icare NSW and also held senior roles at Allianz Australia.

“I’ve seen first-hand MLC Life’s commitment to its customers and partners, and I’m looking forward to working with an amazing team to take the Total Customer Experience to the next level,” she said.

Kent Griffin, Chief Executive Officer of MLC Life Insurance, said the appointments “embody our commitment to the customer experience and elevate our focus on the individual advised channel, while continuing the work we’re doing to improve our customer and partner proposition”.

“Throughout our long history, financial advisers have been vital partners for MLC Life Insurance,” Kent Griffin said. “An experienced industry leader like Gerard allows us to build on the improvements to our adviser experience and deliver on our promise to customers who receive the critical support of advisers. This reinforces our commitment to the health and success of the financial advice industry more broadly.

“We’re very fortunate to have someone with Gerard’s breadth of experience and expertise join the executive team at such an important time. Jane has delivered positive cultural change across the organisation as well as a focus on achieving better outcomes for our customers, and now she will further strengthen our Total Customer Experience which is the core of our strategy.

“I’m excited to continue working with Jane to deliver an exceptional experience for our customers and partners.”