Fidelity Life has made a number of key appointments to its strategic alliances team which works with companies such as Farmers Mutual Group, New Zealand Home Loans, and Westpac NZ – due to the insurer’s proposed acquisition of Westpac Life.
“These appointments show we’re lifting our value proposition to our partners,” says Fidelity Life’s recently appointed Chief Sales and Service Officer Bronwyn Kirwan.
The appointments include Melanie Beattie who joins the firm in the newly-created role of Head of Strategic Alliances.
Beattie spent the formative years of her career in the UK starting and selling a number of businesses in the energy sector before making a switch to corporate – initially with IBM, then with EY as Head of Market Development.
She became Head of Strategic Partnerships at ASB and led its partnership practice across corporate, commercial, SME, and rural/primary sectors. In 2020 she took up a new role at Auckland tech start-up TradeWindow as Head of Global Ecosystems.
Reporting to Beattie is Sean Craigen who takes up the role of Strategic Alliance Manager – Bank and Brands.
Craigen is currently at BNZ leading its general insurance product portfolio and compliance roll out with third parties.
Prior to this Craigen worked at IAG in a number of roles including leadership of its future partnerships, ventures and innovation team.
Also joining Beattie’s team is Mike Whitehead as Strategic Alliance Manager – Advice and Corporate.
He’s currently a Fidelity Life Business Manager in the Auckland region and prior to joining the firm worked at BNZ in franchise management and asset financing.
His background includes time as a Ray White auctioneer and salesperson.
Kirwan says: “Conversations with partners about commissions are now giving way to conversations about customers and strategy, helping us form a strategic roadmap to achieve a shared ambition.
“These new appointments are the first phase of investing to be an outstanding partner.”