Avant Insurance Board

Mr Peter Polson
BCom, MBL, PMD

Mr Polson is a Director of AMGL and AGHL and is the Chair of AIL. He has an extensive background in banking, insurance and financial services. He was formerly Managing Director of Colonial First State Investments, and with the Commonwealth Bank Group as Group Executive responsible for all Investment and Insurance Services. Mr Polson is the current Chairman of the Board of Challenger Financial Services Group Limited, Challenger Life Limited, IDP Education Pty Limited and the Chairman of Very Special Kids.

Special responsibilities: Chair of the Group Investment Committee, member of the Remuneration Committee and the Nominations Committee.

Mr Peter Beck 
BSc, FIA, FIAA, FSA, FASFA

Mr Beck is a Director of AMGL, AGHL and AIL. Mr Beck is an actuary by profession and has over 30 years’ experience in banking, insurance, superannuation and investments working in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa and the United Kingdom. He was formerly CEO of Pillar Administration, CEO of CommInsure, and Group General Manager, Strategic Development and Group Appointed Actuary at Colonial.

Special responsibilities: Chair of the Risk Committee, Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Group Investment Committee.

Mr Tony Bofinger
BEc, MBA, FIAA, GAICD

Mr Bofinger is a Director of AIL. Mr Bofinger is an actuary with over 30 years’ experience in life insurance, superannuation and investment, and he has expertise in risk management, capital management and finance. He is currently Chief Risk Officer of Challenger Limited, and was previously Appointed Actuary and Chief Financial Officer of Challenger Life Company Limited. Prior to that he held a range of executive positions in direct insurance, reinsurance and consulting.

Special responsibilities: Member of the Audit Committee and the Risk Committee.

Ms Rachel Cobb
BAHons, MBA, GAICD

Ms Rachel is a Non-Executive Director of Avant Group Holdings Limited and Avant Insurance Limited. She has a background in consumer finance, management consulting and aviation in Australia and Asia. She was formerly the Managing Director of GE Consumer Finance Ltd, responsible for Australian operations serving 3 million customers with lending and insurance products. Rachel is currently a Non-Executive Director on Commonwealth Securities Limited and Independent Reserve Pty Limited boards. She is a member of Scale Investors, a network that invests and supports gender-diverse start-ups, and a member of Chief Executive Women. Rachel is also a board member of the Bullyzero Foundation, a mental health charity, and a member of the committee for the Australian Contemporary Opera Company.

Dr Jan Dudley
MBBS, FRANZCOG, GAICD

Dr Dudley is a Director of AMGL and AGHL. She is a VMO Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at both the Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick and Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Randwick, where she is Chairman of Obstetrics. Dr Dudley has significant governance experience at local hospital level, and was formerly a long standing and highly respected member of Avant’s Medical Experts Committee. Dr Dudley is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.    

Special responsibilities: Member of the Group Investment Committee.

Ms Natasha Fenech
BEc, BSc, AIAA, MBA, GAICD

Natasha Fenech is the Group CEO and Managing Director of the Avant Mutual Group. Before joining Avant in 2019 as CEO of Medical Indemnity, Natasha held various senior roles within the financial industry, including CEO of SuperConcepts and Executive General Manager of Customer, Product and Pricing at Suncorp. Natasha is an associate member of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Special responsibilities: Group CEO and Managing Director of Avant Mutual Group

Associate Professor Beverley Rowbotham
MBBS (Hons 1) MD, FRACP, FRCPA, FAICD

Associate Professor Rowbotham is the Chair of AMGL and AGHL and is a Director of AIL, DHF and the Avant Foundation. She is Director of Haematology and a member of the Executive Advisory Committee at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology. She is the Chair of the AMA Federal Council, the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Committee and is a past President of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Dr Rowbotham is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland, and is a member of the MBS Review Taskforce and other government committees. Dr Rowbotham is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is a Director of RCPA Quality Assurance Programs Pty Limited, AEIOU Foundation for children with autism and Genome One.

Special responsibilities: Director of Avant Foundation Limited and The Doctors’ Health Fund Pty Ltd. Member of the Remuneration Committee and Nominations Committee.

Mr Duncan West
ANZIIF (Snr Assoc.), CIP, FCII, BSc (Econ), GAICD 

Mr West is a Director of AGHL and AIL. He has over 30 years’ experience in general and life insurance. He has worked in the UK, India and Australia including as CEO of Vero Insurance and CGU Insurance. Most recently he was Executive General Manager of Retail Wealth for NAB. Mr West holds a Graduate Diploma in Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Special responsibilities: Chair of the Remuneration Committee and member of the Nominations Committee, the Risk Committee and the Audit Committee.