Avant Insurance Board

The primary function of the Avant Insurance Board is to focus on the insurance business which offers insurance products to members of Avant Mutual Group Limited (Avant). Avant Insurance Limited is the licensed insurer of Avant. The Avant Insurance Board comprises a highly experienced team of directors with broad experience in the insurance and financial services sectors. 

The directors on the Insurance Board are:

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 and Avant Group Holdings Limited. Chair of Avant Insurance Limited and the Fit and Proper Committee. Member of the Group Nominations Committee, Group Investments Committee and Group Remuneration 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, he held a range of executive positions in direct insurance, reinsurance and consulting. He is also the director of several Challenger Limited subsidiary companies and a director of RAC Insurance.

Appointments: Director of Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited, Avant Insurance Limited and Doctors' Health Fund Limited. Chair of the Group Audit Committee and Doctors' Health Fund Audit Committee. Member of the Group Investment Committee, Group Nominations Committee and Doctors' Health Fund Risk 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 Official Monetary Financial Institutions Forum think tank, 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. Member of the Group Risk Committee and Group Audit 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 Limited, 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. 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. Chair of the Group Risk Committee, Doctors' Health Fund Risk Committee and Doctors' Health Fund Audit Committee. Member of the Group Audit Committee and the Fit and Proper 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. In that role, he was appointed Chair and President of the Insurance Council of Australia. 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. Chair of The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited. Member of the Group Risk Committee and Group Remuneration Committee.

MBBS, FRACS, FACS, FUSANZ, FAICD
Professor Frydenberg is a urological surgeon practising in Victoria, specialising in cancer care. He is an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery, Monash University and Academic Director of Urology, Cabrini Health. He is a Member of the Peninsula Health Board. He was the Chair, Department of Urology, Monash Health from 1997-2017, President of the Urological Society of Urology 2015-2017, a council member and Chair of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Appointments: Director of Avant Mutual Group Limited, Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited. Member of the Group Risk Committee and Group Remuneration Committee.

MBBS, FAMA, FRACGP (Hon), FAICD

Dr Hambleton is a specialist general practitioner and a former State and 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 a Specialist Adviser for the Australian Digital Health Agency and serves on the boards of the Digital Health CRC and Mercy Community.

Appointments:  Chair of Avant Mutual Group Limited and Avant Group Holdings Limited. Director of Avant Insurance Limited and The Doctors' Health Fund Pty Limited. Chair of the Group Nominations Committee. Member of the Group Remuneration Committee, the Fit and Proper Committee and Avant Foundation Committee.

BCom, LLB (Hons), MBA
Mr Urquhart is the Group CEO and Managing Director of the Avant Mutual Group. Before joining Avant as Chief Financial Officer in 2023, Mr Urquhart held various senior roles within the financial services industry, including CFO of TOGA and CFO of AMP Australia. He also served as Interim Chief Executive Officer at SuperConcepts, where he previously held the position of CFO and General Manager, Product. Mr Urquhart holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School and a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Bond University.

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

BCom, LLB, Grad Dip Fin Serv, FAICD
Ms Weekes is an experienced executive and non-executive director across business sectors in ASX listed and private and public corporations. She was previously the Co-General Counsel at Citigroup and the Chief Operational Risk & Compliance Officer at Westpac Banking Corporation. She is Chair of Pinnacle Housing Partnerships and a director of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. She is Chair of the ASIC Markets Disciplinary Panel and Member of the Library Council of NSW State Library.

Appointments: Director of Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited. Chair of the Group Remuneration Committee. Member of the Group Risk Committee.

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NSW State Office AddressLevel 6, Darling Park 3, 201 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone 02 9260 9000 | Facsimile 02 9261 2921

Mailing addressPO Box 746 Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Avant acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their connections to land, sea and community. As a national organisation, we pay our respects to Elders past and present, of the lands on which we gather and work, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

IMPORTANT: Professional indemnity insurance and the Practice Medical Indemnity Policy available from Avant Mutual Group Limited ABN 58 123 154 898 (Avant Mutual) are issued by Avant Insurance Limited, ABN 82 003 707 471, AFSL 238 765 (Avant). Avant Cyber Insurance cover is available to eligible Avant Practice Medical Indemnity Policy holders up to the cessation of their policy and is provided under a Group Policy between Liberty Mutual Insurance Company ABN 61 086 083 605 (Liberty) and Avant. Private health insurance products are issued by The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Limited, ABN 68 001 417 527, a member of the Avant Mutual Group. Avant arranges Avant Business Insurance as agent of the insurer Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850, AFSL 234 708 (Allianz) and may receive a commission on each policy arranged. Avant Travel Cover is available under a Group Policy between QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited, ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239 545 (QBE) and Avant Mutual. Avant Travel Cover is underwritten by QBE and Avant may receive a benefit for arranging cover. Avant Finance is a registered business name of Avant Doctors’ Finance Pty Ltd (ACN 637 769 361) and licensed to Avant Doctors’ Finance Brokers Pty Ltd (ABN 75 640 406 784). Avant Doctors’ Finance Brokers Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Avant Doctors’ Finance Pty Ltd. Loan products may be provided by Avant Doctors’ Finance Pty Ltd or arranged by Avant Doctors’ Finance Brokers Pty Ltd. Credit services or assistance to which the National Credit Code applies are provided by Avant Doctors’ Finance Brokers Pty Ltd as authorised Credit Representative (Credit Representative Number 523242) for LMG Broker Services Pty Ltd ACN 632 405 504 Australian Credit Licence 517192. Legal services are provided by Avant Law Pty Ltd ABN 63 136 429 153 (Avant Law). Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. Legal practitioners employed by Avant Law are members of the scheme.



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