Spotlight on Insurance

Gary Dransfield is currently a non-executive director of Hollard Insurance and of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). He was formerly the Chief Executive of Insurance Australia for the Suncorp Group, has been both board member and Chair of the Insurance Council of Australia and the Insurance Council of New Zealand, and held numerous other board directorships. He has also held executive roles with IAG, Lend Lease, and AMP.
In February 2022 he was appointed Chair of ASFA’s board.

Heather is the Lead Ombudsman – Superannuation at the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) where she leads a team of Ombudsmen and Adjudicators in determining a wide range of superannuation complaints.
Prior to joining AFCA in 2020, Heather had more than 30 years’ experience in private practice as a superannuation lawyer and was previously a partner at law firm Hall & Wilcox.
Heather has a strong interest in superannuation law and policy and has consulted widely to Treasury, ASIC, APRA and the ATO on draft legislation and other instruments, and on the development of policy. She was for many years a member of the Law Council of Australia’s Superannuation Committee, including a term as its Chair, and represents AFCA on the ATO’s Superannuation Industry Stewardship Group. She is a frequent speaker at superannuation conferences and events.

Helen Rowell is an independent director of Australian Retirement Trust and a director of the NSW State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) and Mental Health Australia. Helen was also Chair of the independent panel undertaking the review of the General Insurance Code of Practice in 2023/4.
Helen held senior roles at Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) from April 2002 and was Executive Member and Deputy Chair of APRA for 10 years until 30 June 2023. She represented APRA on various international bodies, including the International Association of Insurance Supervisors Executive Committee, and was President of the International Organisation of Pension Supervisors from 2019 to 2022.
Prior to joining APRA in 2002, Helen was a partner at the international consulting firm Towers Perrin and she is a past President of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.

Jocelyn Furlan is a highly experienced non-executive director and Chair.
She is a non-executive director on the Boards of Perpetual Superannuation Limited, Russell Investments Master Trust and Financial Counselling Australia. She is the Independent Chairperson of the Customer Owned Banking Code Compliance Committee.
Jocelyn has been the Chair of the Board of Strathcona Girls Grammar School since 2017 and is a non-executive director of the Mother’s Day Classic Foundation.
She was a director of the board of Aware Super for nine years and is a former member of Vanguard Investments Ltd’s external compliance committee.
She was the Chairperson and CEO of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal from 2007 to 2015 and was also the inaugural company secretary of VicSuper.
In addition to her non-executive work, Jocelyn provides consulting services in superannuation dispute resolution, excellence in member services, and financial services remediation. She is currently chairing ASFA’s steering group established to develop industry wide service standards for superannuation death benefits and insurance claims handling.
Jocelyn’s background is in financial services, with in excess of 25 years’ experience in superannuation. She holds law and commerce degrees and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Pippa leads ASIC’s Superannuation and Life Insurance team within ASIC’s Regulation and Supervision group. She oversees ASIC’s regulatory work associated with the life insurance and superannuation industries.
Prior to joining ASIC, Pippa held senior roles in policy and supervision at the UK Financial Conduct Authority across life insurance, pensions and mortgages. Pippa led financial services policy at Citizens Advice, the UK’s national debt advice charity after starting her career in government research.
She holds a PhD in politics and history.

Sarah Yu is a Partner at KWM and specialises in financial services, superannuation and insurance. Sarah has an extensive legal practice with over 25 years’ experience that spans regulatory, advisory, transactional and disputes work.
Sarah advises retail, industry and corporate superannuation funds, administrators and promoters, banks and wealth management institutions, life and general insurance companies.

Zein El Hassan is a partner of the Mills Oakley national Finanical Services Team based in Sydney. He has over 30 years’ experience in top tier law firms and as a partner of an international consulting firm.
He is recognised in the “Best Lawyers” list for Superannuation and is consistently ranked as a leading financial services lawyer by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.
Zein advises superannuation funds, insurers and wealth managers on legal and regulatory projects, transactions, investigations and remediations.
He is an industry commentator and authored many articles on financial serivces laws, digital financial advice and AI and is a strategic adviser to boards and senior management.