Allianz Retire+ appoints joint heads of group retirement solutions

Allianz Retire+ has announced the joint appointment of Catherine van der Veen and Lucy Foster to the newly created position, head of group retirement solutions client delivery.

According to the firm, Ms van der Veen and Ms Foster will manage client relationships, on-board key partners, and oversee the implementation of new clients as the institutional arm of the business grows.

Cumulatively, the duo bring over four decades of combined experience in retirement, investment management, advice, and insurance, having previously served in role-sharing capacities.

Most recently, Ms van der Veen and Ms Foster were at Challenger in the role of general manager, customer strategy and experience. Here, they jointly oversaw customer strategy across institutional, adviser, and direct clients.

Before this, they both served as chief executive and managing director at Generation Life, leading the business for three years.

Their first job share role was at Commonwealth Bank as joint general manager, strategic projects wealth management. During this time, Ms van der Veen and Ms Foster led the design of the future wealth management model in the bank’s wealth management arm.

Allianz Australia Life Insurance chief executive Adrian Stewart welcomed the duo to Allianz Retire+’s leadership.

“After a year of milestones for the business, we are thrilled to have Catherine and Lucy join the leadership team,” Mr Stewart said.

“Catherine and Lucy bring an enormous wealth of insight and value to the team, and we are especially excited to welcome them in a role-sharing capacity, which they have successfully managed over the past seven years.

“With a strong background partnering with superfunds, Lucy and Catherine understand the importance of members’ best interests, trustee obligations, technology and operational pathways, and regulatory considerations. All of which are essential moving into 2024.”

Mr Stewart stressed the importance of understanding the retirement landscape and the challenges facing retirees, which he said is critical for Allianz Retire+ as it increases its presence in Australia.

“We have a moral obligation as an industry to come together to solve these problems at pace, which is why we are continuing to assemble the right people with the right skills for the job. Lucy and Catherine are a key example of this commitment,” he added.

The appointments come after Allianz Retire+ announced earlier this year that its new retirement income product, Allianz Guaranteed Income for Life (AGILE), would become available in March.

According to the firm, AGILE is a “next-generation retirement solution” that provides full advice platform integration and can be embedded within super funds and account-based pensions.