InsurTech

Ron Arnold

Managing Director and Founder
11eight

Founder of 11eight, Ron helps Corporates think differently and very practically about their strategy. He helps them bring the outside world in and get better at innovation and helps early stage businesses crash through the many challenges they can have working with Corporates. Ron brings a diverse skill set developed across 25+ years in C-suite & executive roles at Australia’s largest insurers (IAG, NRMA, AAMI) and has held a variety of Board roles including Stone & Chalk. Most recently in Corporate life he established and was the Managing Partner of Firemark Ventures and led the establishment of the Gradient Institute, a not for profit providing critical thought leadership on the ethical use of AI.

Brian Maruncic

Head of Climate ANZ
AXA XL

Joining AXA XL in 2022, Brian Maruncic leads the climate business for Australia and New Zealand. Brian is responsible for driving growth and relationships across the Australia and New Zealand markets, promoting climate offerings in the form of Parametric and Derivative insurance products with key broking partners.

Dr. Philip Conway

Executive Manager – Pricing & Engineering
IAG

Philip is a civil engineer with professional experience in academia, engineering consultancy and the financial services as well as having founded a startup. He currently leads a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in actuarial sciences, engineering, DevOps, GIS and catastrophe modelling to develop the technology for delivering peril pricing engines. These engines are also leveraged for our market-leading climate change work and guides reinsurance requirements for IAG. Prior to this, Philip worked in floodplain risk management carrying out flood hazard modelling and authoring reports including public flood studies, dam break assessments and levee design assessments. Philip is well versed in disseminating technical information to a variety of stakeholders ranging from government organisations to members of the community and has authored a number of peer-reviewed publications in the field of hydrodynamic modelling.

Sema Whittle

General Manager, Corporate Governance and Sustainability
Allianz

Sema Whittle is the general manager responsible for Corporate Governance and Sustainability at Allianz Australia. She is passionate about organisations that lead with purpose, for the benefit of all stakeholders. Sema leads change by helping Allianz Australia and its customers transition towards net zero, supporting customers experiencing vulnerability and strengthening organisational conduct. Sema is also Chair of KU Children’s Services and co-author of two novels that inspire girls to be brave.

Shelley Beeston

Partner
Lexicon, an Endava company

Shelley Beeston is a Partner at Lexicon, an Endava company, with over 23 years of experience across a variety of industries including Insurance, Banking, Telecommunications, HealthTech and Sustainability. Having held a number of roles within strategy, design, transformation, entrepreneurship, and senior management, Shelley is a seasoned expert in strategy and innovation with a passion to help businesses and individuals achieve their full potential. With a wealth of expertise, multi-industry knowledge, and experience from having launched her own start up product, Shelley has transformed a number of businesses’ service offerings and ways of working, focusing on delivering innovative solutions that drive growth and positive change.    

Karen Jones-Gudmunson

Chief Transformation and Operations Officer
Tokio Marine Management Australasia

Karen brings over 20 years’ of Transformation, Operations, Risk and Customer Experience across multinational and large domestic organisations. Karen has worked across several financial services firms such as AMP, ANZ, ING and Zurich.  

Karen joins us from AMP where she was the General Manager of Customer Experience and Resolution, and First Line Risk across Australia. This involved enhancing processes and controls through digitisation and technology whilst also uplifting the customer experience and resolution, including managing the regulator relationships. Prior to AMP Karen held several senior roles at ANZ Wealth servicing the Insurance, Superannuation, Asset Management, Advice and Share Investing businesses. In these roles she was responsible for operations, transformation, automation, customer resolution and customer experience, whilst also playing a key leadership role in divesting the businesses to Zurich and Insignia [IOOF].  

Karen holds a Bachelor Commerce degree from Bond University and is a member of the Certified Practising Accountant Association, Australia. Karen is also a qualified Financial Planner, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Project Management and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Nathasha Wally

Head of Insurance
Amfin

Highly experienced, diversified financial services executive with a deep understanding of Insurance/Reinsurance and Risk Management. Offers more than 20 years’ insurance broking, underwriting, risk and compliance management experience across a variety of strategic leadership functions, both within the Australian and international markets.  

Previously held the positions of Country Head for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and General Representative and Country Head for Lloyd’s of London in South Africa, where she was responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the companies. She served as a board member for both entities and has served as a board committee member for the Reinsurance Council Association. 

Nathasha has a passion for building start-up businesses and high-performing teams with a strong focus on innovation and creativity in strategically analysing clients’ needs to effectively design and maximise risk tolerance including blended structures and alternative risk transfer solutions. 

Sofia Lemaitre

Head of Insurance Innovation
Flip Insurance

Sofia is Head of Insurance Innovation at Flip Insurance.  With 10 years’ experience in the life insurance industry and background in both business analysis and product management, Sofia understands the challenges facing the industry and is passionate about driving the innovative solutions required to address them.  Sofia’s goals at Flip Insurance are driving customer value, innovative distribution and sustainable growth while working within a highly regulated environment. In 2021, Flip launched Australia’s first on-demand, accidental injury insurance that is 100% digital.    

Before joining Flip in 2021, Sofia worked in CommInsure and AIA, where she participated in the development of new and updated retail life products, from concept to market.  Prior to working in life insurance, Sofia had a long career as a business analyst, delivering technology projects in health, education, and financial services.  

Ron Arnold

Managing Director and Founder
11eight

Founder of 11eight, Ron helps Corporates think differently and very practically about their strategy. He helps them bring the outside world in and get better at innovation and helps early stage businesses crash through the many challenges they can have working with Corporates. Ron brings a diverse skill set developed across 25+ years in C-suite & executive roles at Australia’s largest insurers (IAG, NRMA, AAMI) and has held a variety of Board roles including Stone & Chalk. Most recently in Corporate life he established and was the Managing Partner of Firemark Ventures and led the establishment of the Gradient Institute, a not for profit providing critical thought leadership on the ethical use of AI.

Alison Cameron

Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance
Youi

Alison Cameron is the Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance for Youi Insurance. She is a passionate advocate for financial literacy within the community and social justice.  Having recently won the ANZIIF 2022 Making a Difference Award for her work on the Indigenous Financial Framework.  

Her philosophy is to be inclusive, and community focused on everything she does in insurance. Specially focusing on making insurance accessible, affordable, and relevant to all communities. Alison specializes in Governance, Risk and Compliance innovation and has been instrumental in her regulatory work across Government and large insurance corporations. She is Board Director for Basketball Australia and Chair of the Women’s National Basketball League Commission. In her free time Alison is lead singer in two rock bands.

Jaydon Burke-Douglas

General Counsel & Head of Operations
Prorisk

Jaydon Burke-Douglas joined ProRisk in April 2019 and is currently employed as Head of Operations & General Counsel. He has spearheaded ProRisk’s transformation over the last 4 years into becoming one of Australia’s leading, technology enabled underwriting agencies. Jaydon has re-written every product from the ground up and redesigned ProRisk’s rating model for platform delivery. He is a qualified solicitor, member of the Law Society of New South Wales, is admitted to practice law in the High Court of Australia, Supreme Court of New South Wales and holds an unrestricted Practicing Certificate. He is an insurance professional with over 15 years experience in the insurance industry. He has a wealth of knowledge from his experience in claims management, product design, underwriting and legal roles at some of Australia’s largest insurers. His most recent role was as General Counsel & Company Secretary for the DUAL Asia Pacific Group entities. He has a passion for helping policyholders and brokers navigate the complex world of insurance by simplifying processes, demystifying the bureaucracy of the decision making processes and making insurance products easier to understand. Jaydon is a member of the Australian Insurance Law Association, The Australian Professional Indemnity Group and an Associate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Rebecca Lyon

Senior Corporate Counsel & Assistant Company Secretary
nib

Rebecca’s extensive professional career spans over 20 years in a diverse range of board, executive and corporate legal advisory roles. She has a proven track record of driving transformation to create value for business and stakeholders.

Motivated by a desire to create value and make sustainable change Rebecca has spent the last five years working within the general insurance industry. During this time Rebecca has guided large national (both listed and private) and international organisations through challenges such as regulatory reform and COVID 19.

In additional to her legal acumen Rebecca’s career has been defined by an ability to leverage deep commercial insights and apply innovation processes to design and implement strategic business solutions. She is well regarded for her unique balance of technical legal capability, strategic vision, and the creative mind she brings to problem solving in complex and highly regulated industries.

Timothy Chan

Senior Associate & InsurTech Lead (Australia)
Norton Rose Fulbright

Tim is Senior Associate & InsurTech Lead (Australia) at Norton Rose Fulbright. He is also the Founder of The InsurTech Lawyer blog and a Faculty Member of The Digital Insurer Academy where he lectures on insurance regulation. Tim advises insurers, start-ups and scale-ups on regulatory issues, the development of novel products, new distribution models and management of emerging risks. He is known for his commercial acumen and is a recommended lawyer in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Tim regularly contributes to thought leadership in the insurance space and frequently presents on InsurTech issues. He is a Certified Insurance Professional (ANZIIF CIP), a member of the Australian Insurance Law Association (NSW TechHub Committee member) and a member of the NSW Reinsurance Discussion Group.