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9 November 2023 

Allianz Retire+ appoint joint Head of Group Retirement Solutions

Sydney, Australia (Thursday 9 November), Allianz Retire+ today announces the appointment of Catherine van der Veen and Lucy Foster to the newly created position, Head of Group Retirement Solutions Client Delivery.

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

The two executives bring over four decades of combined experience in retirement, superannuation, investment management, advice, and insurance. They also share deep expertise in product and channel development, distribution, marketing, strategy, and execution.

Most recently Ms van der Veen and Ms Foster were at Challenger in the role of General Manager Customer Strategy & Experience where they led the customer strategy working across institutional, adviser, and direct clients. Prior to their experience at Challenger, they were CEO & Managing Director at Generation Life, leading the business for three years.

Allianz Australia Life Insurance CEO, Adrian Stewart said, “After a year of milestones for the business, we are thrilled to have Catherine and Lucy join the leadership team. 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.

They both have a demonstrated track record of developing successful strategies for client focused outcomes and have a deep understanding of the retirement landscape and the challenges facing retirees. This thinking is critical for Allianz Retire+ as we continue to grow following the launch of AGILE this year.

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.

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.”

Their first job share role was at Commonwealth Bank in 2016–17 where they were Joint General Manager, Strategic Projects Wealth Management. During this time, they led the design of the future wealth management model in the Wealth Management arm of the Commonwealth Bank.

    -ENDS-

     

    Media contact:

    Allianz Retire+

    Amy Boyce

    P: 0449 553 990

    E: Media@allianzretireplus.com.au

     

     

    About Lucy Foster and Catherine van der Veen

    Lucy Foster and Catherine van der Veen are dynamic, client-oriented executives with a combined 45 years of financial services experience in Australia, the UK and the US. Catherine and Lucy have been working in a successful job share partnership for over seven years. They bring extensive experience in product and channel development, distribution, marketing, strategy, and execution for institutional, retail and direct clients. Catherine and Lucy most recently held the role of General Manager Customer Strategy and Experience at Challenger. They have strong experience in retirement and working across the industry to help improve retirement outcomes for Australians. Lucy and Catherine drove the development of a united customer strategy at Challenger across Life and Funds Management. They led the development and launch of Australia's first market-linked annuity and played an instrumental role in the transformation of Challenger's digital experience for clients. Prior to this, Catherine and Lucy were joint CEO's at Generation Life. Collectively, they have a breadth of experience through their work at the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, KPMG and BT and are known for being client-focused and delivering innovative and commercial solutions.

    About Allianz Retire

    Allianz Retire+ delivers the next generation of retirement income solutions to the Australian market. Our financial product solutions are designed to simplify the complex financial and emotional challenges that can confront people who are heading into retirement. Allianz Retire+ is a world-first Australian venture combining the scale and expertise of international insurance provider Allianz and global investment expert PIMCO.

    Disclaimer

    This material is issued by Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited, ABN 27 076 033 782, AFSL 296559. (Allianz Retire+). Allianz Retire+ is a registered business name of Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited. This information is current as at 10 November. No person should rely on the content of this material or act on the basis of anything stated in this material. Allianz Retire+ and its related entities, agents or employees do not accept any liability for any loss arising whether directly or indirectly from any use of this material. PIMCO provides investment management and other support services to Allianz Retire+ but is not responsible for the performance of any Allianz Retire+ product, or any other product or service promoted or supplied by Allianz. Use of the POWERED BY PIMCO trademark, or any other use of the PIMCO name, is not a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product.