Avant Insurance Board

ANZIIF (Snr Assoc.), CIP, FCII, BSc (Econ), GAICD

Mr West has over 35 years’ experience in insurance, with a particular focus on risk pricing and underwriting, reinsurance, claims and distribution management in both general insurance and life insurance. Mr West has worked in the UK, India and Australia, including as CEO of Vero Insurance and CGU Insurance. Mr West is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute. He is the Chair of Challenger Life Company Limited and a Non-Executive Director of Helia Group Limited and Suncorp Group Limited.

Appointments:  Director of Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited, and The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited, Chair of Avant Insurance Limited, Chair of the Group Remuneration Committee and the New Ventures Advisory Committee, and a member of the Group Nominations Committee.

BSc, FIA, FIAA, FSA, FASFA

Mr Beck is an actuary by profession and has over 40 years’ experience in banking, insurance, superannuation and investments working in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. He is a Director of Australian Retirement Trust (ART) Life Insurance (formerly known as QInsure) and was formerly the CEO of Pillar Administration, CEO of CommInsure, and Group General Manager, Strategic Development and Group Appointed Actuary at Colonial.

Appointments: Director Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited, Chair of The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited and Group Audit Committee, and a member of the Group Investment Committee.

BEc, MBA, FIAA, GAICD
Mr Bofinger is an actuary with over 30 years’ experience in life insurance, superannuation and investments, and he has expertise in risk management, capital management and finance. He was previously the Chief Risk Officer of Challenger Limited and the Appointed Actuary and Chief Financial Officer of Challenger Life Company Limited. Prior to that Mr Bofinger held a range of executive positions in direct insurance, reinsurance and consulting.

Appointments:  Director of Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited, and a member of the Group Investment Committee, Group Remuneration Committee, and Group Nominations Committee.

BComm (Hons)

Mr Burgess has had an extensive career in financial services, leading investment and financial institutions in Australia and internationally. He is currently an independent Director and Investment Committee Chair for the Australian Retirement Trust, Chair (Asia) at the Think Tank, Official Monetary Financial Institutions Forum, on the advisory board of Jamieson Coote Bonds, and early-stage research group, IP Group Australia. He is also a Governor of the Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation.

Appointments:  Director of Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited, Chair of the Group Investments Committee, and a member of the Group Risk Committee.

BA (Hons), MBA, GAICD
Ms Cobb has a background in consumer finance, management consulting and aviation in Australia and Asia. Ms Cobb was formerly the Managing Director of GE Consumer Finance Ltd, responsible for Australian operations serving 3 million customers with lending and insurance products. Ms Cobb is currently a Non-Executive Director on Commonwealth Securities Limited and Independent Reserve Pty Limited boards and Chair of Cimet Pty Ltd.  She is also a member of Scale Investors, a network that invests in and empowers women entrepreneurs, and a member of Chief Executive Women.

Appointments: Director of Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited, Avant Insurance Limited and The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited (DHF), Chair of the Group Risk Committee, DHF Risk Committee and DHF Audit Committee, and a member of the Group Audit Committee and the New Ventures Advisory Committee.

MBA
Mr Cornish has more than 40 years’ experience in the insurance industry, including with the RBS Group as Managing Director, NIG Insurance (UK) and CEO of Direct Line Insurance International, and Zurich Insurance. He has extensive experience as a director for Green Flag Group Limited, National Westminster Insurance Services Limited, Royal Bank Insurance Service Limited, Direct Line Insurance and the Insurance Council of Australia. Prior to retiring from executive life in June 2016, Mr Cornish was Chief Operations Officer at IAG Group and prior to that was Chief Executive Officer, Personal Insurance, IAG from 2014. In that role, he was appointed Chair and President of the Insurance Council of Australia. Mr Cornish has also held the position of Chief Executive Officer, Direct Insurance, IAG from 2009 2014. Mr Cornish is currently Chair of ANCAP and a member of the APAC Advisory Council to EXL Service plc Ltd

Appointments:  Director of Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited, and a member of the Group Audit Committee, Group Risk Committee, and Group Remuneration Committee.

BEc, BSc, AIAA, MBA, GAICD
Mrs Fenech is the Group CEO and Managing Director of the Avant Mutual Group. Before joining Avant in 2019 as the CEO, Medical Indemnity, Mrs Fenech held various senior roles within the financial services industry, including the CEO of SuperConcepts and Executive General Manager of Customer, Product and Pricing at Suncorp. Mrs Fenech is an associate member of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Appointments:  Group CEO and Managing Director of Avant Mutual Group, Director of Avant Insurance Limited and The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited.

MBBS, FAMA, FRACGP (Hon), FAICD

Dr Hambleton is a specialist general practitioner and a former State and former Federal President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA). He was awarded the AMA Gold Medal for his services to the Medical Profession in 2015. Dr Hambleton has continued to contribute to the health reform agenda through membership of various Federal Government committees including the recent Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. He is currently the Specialist Advisor for the Australian Digital Health Agency and serves on the boards of the Digital Health CRC and Mercy Community Services.

Appointments:  Chair of Avant Mutual Group Limited and Avant Group Holdings Limited, Director of Avant Insurance Limited and The Doctors' Health Fund Pty Limited (DHF), Chair of the Group Nominations Committee and a member of the DHF Audit Committee, DHF Risk Committee, Group Remuneration Committee, and the New Ventures Advisory Committee.