Fidelity Life has made senior appointments in two areas of its business as the firm focuses on its adviser channel.
Leigh Bennett has been promoted to Head of Underwriting, while Mat Bark has been appointed to the newly-created role of Head of Channel Enablement.
The firm’s Chief Sales and Service Officer Bronwyn Kirwan says the appointments “…underpin a renewed strategic approach for advisers and the adviser channel”.
In her new role, Bennett will manage the firm’s 34-strong team of underwriters, working with the company’s Strategic Alliance and adviser business partners, and reporting to Acting Chief Insurance Officer Adrian Riminton.
Bennett joined Fidelity Life in 2015 as an underwriter, and will be responsible for ensuring policy applications are assessed appropriately with a focus on good customer and commercial outcomes.
In his role of Head of Channel Enablement, Bark is tasked with shaping the firm’s future adviser channel experience.
This includes business ownership of new digital interfaces and platform innovation, modernising the the firm’s legacy and in-force servicing experience for advisers, and leading Fidelity Life’s group insurance re-platform.
Bark joins Fidelity Life from AIA NZ where he was most recently Head of Existing Business.
He has experience in technology, operations, risk and cross-functional leadership, and has held numerous lead roles across the life and health insurance industry for more than nine years.