MLC adds strength to retail advice team

The new leadership team includes Russell Hannah, who rejoined MLC in May 2016 in the new role of general manager for retail advised insurance sales, and Adrienne Cochrane, who joined from AMP as the head of customer solutions, longevity and insurance.

Other new appointments to MLC’s retail advice team include Charlotte Sheehan as the head of customer experience and retention, Christopher Ong in the role of head of pricing and profitability, and Simon Dent as the head of underwriting and new business, MLC said in a statement.

The team is led by MLC Life Insurance chief customer officer of retail advised insurance, Melissa Heyhoe.

Ms Heyhoe said the appointments will further focus on the development of new longevity solutions and driving a new direction in underwriting.

“The recent acquisition of an 80 per cent shareholding in the MLC Life Insurance business by Nippon Life presents us with an immense opportunity to develop and grow our capabilities and expertise,” she said.

“We expect to build on the solid foundations and momentum we’ve created over the last 12 months to 1 October 2016, where retailed advised sales grew by 55 per cent compared to the same period in the previous year.

“We are also committed to providing advisers and customers with new solutions by developing our longevity product offer as research shows that over 46 per cent of accumulators and pre-retirees in Australia are expected to outlive their retirement savings.”