Plenary Speakers

Richard is the Chief Risk Officer at Swiss Re ANZ. He has over 20 years’ experience analysing and communicating the financial information, risks and operational performance of Financial Services companies in Australia and North America.

Richard was a member of the team that developed the first risk framework in both AMP and IAG before leading the risk team in the IAG Personal Insurance Division. In 2010, he joined Westfarmers to help turn around the performance of the company and bring consistency in approach and culture to their three operating units.

Neil recently arrived in Sydney after spending 12 years running a successful risk management consultancy in the UK, specialising in using systems approaches developed through his applied research. He has led risk related projects for international companies such as such as Rio Tinto, British Gas, Sinopec, Sword Group, Prudential, RSA, Mighty River Power and Babcock International to implement strategic risk management policy, frameworks and processes; emerging risk techniques; enterprise risk modelling and culture alignment initiatives, including risk culture audits.

Neil is an active member of the UK’s ICE/Actuary committee responsible for the RAMP ( Risk & Management of Projects) series of publications and led the research and writing of specialist reports on Strategic risk (STRATrisk) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). He has also authored the Institute of Risk Management’s (IRM) new guidance for the Extended Enterprise and was lead author on CIRIA’s guide for engaging with risk on complex projects.

Paul is the founder of the Capability Institute and has been engaged in understanding and developing the concept of capability for over 10 years. 

Previous to engaging with capability, Paul worked with several start-ups in the IT field, one of which he founded and which was taken to the US in 2000. Some of his work has been used in the insurance field in a product which was recognised with two innovation awards.

Paul has over 25 years’ experience in research, development, consulting and management. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne and was head of the Knowledge-based Systems laboratory for the CSIRO. Paul have published academic papers and holds several patents.

Hazel’s career in the life reinsurance industry began when she joined Mercantile & General Reinsurance as an inexperienced, but enthusiastic, school leaver in 1974.

In the forty years since then she has progressed through many areas of the business including underwriting, claims and operations to senior management roles and ultimately that of Chief Executive Officer for Swiss Re Life & Health Australia Limited; a position which she held for six years.

She returned to life reinsurance in 2011, as an independent, non-executive director for the board of SCOR Global Life Australia Ltd. She is currently still a member of that board and its audit and risk committees.

Hazel brings to the discussion her perspectives of having experienced the culture and conduct of boards both as an executive and non-executive director. She says that she remains enthusiastic but is now a little more experienced.

David Hall is currently the Chief Risk Officer for The Hollard Insurance Company where he has worked for the last six years. Prior to joining Hollard, David was a Director with Deloitte’s Financial Advisory Services division where he provided audit, risk, compliance and corporate finance services and advice to the financial services sector.

In addition to his executive role at Hollard, David is a Non-Executive Director of The ANDO Insurance Group in New Zealand. David also advises other Boards on the implementation and maintenance of effective risk management programs with particular focus on the integration of strategy and risk.  David’s has most recently been providing risk management advice to start-up, high growth and entrepreneurial businesses.

David is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and when he is not loving risk and numbers he is a keen collector of wine, a terrible golfer and a big fan of Melbourne City Football Club.

Ben Gully is APRA’s Chief Risk Officer. In this role, Ben is responsible for promoting organisational effectiveness through a range of functions including risk management, quality assurance, and strategy and performance. The role is new for APRA and a key focus is to promote independent oversight over APRA’s business operations consistent with those risk management expectations set out for regulated entities. Prior to joining APRA in 2015, Ben worked with the Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) in Canada for 14 years with his most recent role as head of large bank supervision where he was responsible for leading the risk assessment on Canada’s largest financial institutions. Ben started his career in the Financial Stability Area of the Bank of England, and holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Simon was appointed to the position of Head of Global Fixed Income in February 2014. In this capacity he is responsible for the management of approximately A$53 billion of funds under management across AMP Capital’s active fixed income strategies, commercial lending and protected growth. 

Simon manages over 25 investment professionals across Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the US. Previously, he headed up the Macro Markets team within Fixed Income, and was responsible for managing active macro management investment processes in duration, currencies, and semi and swap spreads across all fixed income portfolios. Simon led the development of new strategies to manage global rates and credit sectors. Prior to joining AMP Capital in March 2007, Simon was employed by JPMorgan Chase, most recently as Australasian Chief Investment Officer based in Singapore.

Simon holds a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics. He also holds a Global Executive Master in Business Administration completed through the London School of Economics, New York University and HEC Paris. 

Alan is Principal  of AH Business Psychology, a specialist firm of psychologists, coaches and management educators. He is an organisational psychologist and has practised as a management consultant, corporate psychologist and coach for thirty years. 

He is a fully accredited master trainer in the Paul Ekman International science based training programs in Deception Detection Skills, world authorities in the fields of deception and emotion.

He is a Registered Psychologist (NSW) and is also Adjunct Associate Lecturer at the School of Psychology, University of NSW.

Gavin Pearce

Gavin joined icare in November as their inaugural Chief Risk Officer. Gavin is part of icare’s Executive Team and he manages the Risk & Governance functions including Risk, Compliance, Audit and Legal. 

Prior to joining icare, Gavin was the Chief Risk Officer at Zurich Financial Services Australia Limited.
 
Gavin has also held senior actuarial positions in a number of large insurance companies. Before moving to Australia in 2008, Gavin worked at the Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand where his last role was Chief Actuary.
 
Gavin holds a Masters degree in Statistics from the University of Waikato (NZ), an MBA from Henley Management College (UK) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia (FIAA).

Chief Executive Officer

Anthony has over 20 years of experience in marketing, strategy, operations and distribution with a focus on financial services. He was previously COO at AMP Capital, Head of Strategy and Marketing at Hillross (AMP Financial Services), Head of Marketing and Product Development at Promina insurance, Head of Commercial Insurance Marketing at Suncorp, and Manager at KPMG. Anthony has completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School, has an MBA from the AGSM, and is a Chartered Accountant. He also holds a Bachelor of Economics degree (University of Sydney) and a Master of Commerce degree (University of NSW).

Harry Toukalas
Managing Partner
Blackhall & Pearl

Harry has significant global experience in the fields of risk and compliance. He commenced his senior career with NAB, eventually becoming the Australian Head of Operational Risk.

He then joined Bankers Trust as the Regional Vice President of Risk Management for Asia/Pacific before returning to NAB as the Global General Manager of Operational Risk and Compliance for the Group.

Harry subsequently became the founding Managing Director of the Bank of Cyprus Australia, and is currently completing a PhD on risk culture.

Matthew Wilson

Matthew is a corporate lawyer and professional adviser in the fields of risk management, regulatory compliance and corporate governance practice in the Australian and New Zealand financial services sectors working closely with boards of directors and operational teams as chief legal officer and chief risk officer.

Based in Sydney, Matthew maintains a keen interest in risk management practice and the financial services industry cross the global economy, with particular focus on the Asia Pacific region, the UK and Europe.

Matthew is CRO for a small APRA general insurer and small life company and holds various honorary roles as risk officer including the Australian Hunter Horse Association and MND Australia.