Allianz Australia chairman to retire

Allianz Australia has announced chair John Curtis will retire from the board, with Paula Dwyer taking over from 1 January, 2020.

Curtis would stay on until the end of the year, officially finishing on 31 December 2019.

As chair, Curtis oversaw significant growth at Allianz from gross written premium of $900 million to a $5 billion group which helped Allianz became one of Australia’s top insurance groups.

Richard Feledy, Allianz Australia managing director, said Curtis played a critical role in the development of the company from manufacturer’s mutual insurance (MMI) to a significant contributor in the global Allianz insurance business.

“John’s broad experience across a range of sectors and his knowledge of financial services through past associations including chair of St George Bank and deputy chair of Westpac, has steered Allianz to be a $5 billion enterprise and a leading insurer across many business segments,” Feledy said.

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He had been a strong advocate for diversity at Allianz, setting targets for cultural diversity, forging partnerships to promote refugee and youth employment, and greater female representation at board and senior management levels.

Curtis congratulated Dwyer on her new position, and thanked Feledy and his fellow board members for his tenure.

“It has been a great privilege to serve as chair at Allianz Australia and to oversee such significant growth – not just financially but in the role Allianz plays in helping to protect what matters most to our customers,” Curtis said.

“I am confident that Allianz will continue to play a strong role in supporting communities and businesses across Australia,” Curtis said.