Melbourne, 8 March 2022. Leading life, health and wellbeing insurer, AIA Australia has announced it has appointed Mike Thornton as its Chief Transformation Officer, effective 1 February 2022. In this newly created position, the Chief Transformation Officer will steer the transformation program as the insurer embarks on a three-year journey to enhance the end-to-end experience for its customers, partners, and employees.
Mike Thornton has over 30 years' experience across life insurance, wealth management and financial planning. He joined AIA Australia in 2016 and exits the Chief Risk Officer role. During his career Mr Thornton has demonstrated his commitment to driving sustainable business practices and making a difference for AIA Australia's customers.
CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia, Damien Mu said "I'm thrilled to announce Mike's appointment as our new Chief Transformation Officer. This is an exciting milestone in AIA Australia's journey and his leadership will ensure that we are set up for success."
Mike Thornton said "At AIA Australia our dream is to champion Australia to be the healthiest and most protected nation in the world. Our life, health and wellbeing propositions are integral to helping our customers, and the community more broadly, to lead healthier, longer, better lives.
"During the six years I've been AIA's Chief Risk Officer, I've had the privilege of working with all areas of the business. I believe we have a great opportunity to build upon the good work we have been doing by enhancing the end-to-end experience for our people, partners, and customers. We're now investing in our business to create a simpler, faster, and more connected experience for them. It's an exciting time for AIA and I'm thrilled to be leading this transformation".
In parallel with Mr Thornton's appointment, Gerry Schipper, who joined AIA in 2010, has been appointed as Chief Risk Officer.