We’re delighted to announce that Ben Walsh has joined the AIA family as our new Chief Life Insurance Officer (CLIO).
Ben comes to AIA Australia with more than 25 years’ experience working for Mercer and its sister company, Marsh. His most recent position was Managing Director and CEO of Mercer Australia and New Zealand, where he was responsible for delivering the firm’s business segments of Health, Wealth and Career.
For Ben, moving to AIA Australia follows an acquaintance with the company that goes way back. “I’ve admired AIA and its people since prior to its listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange” he explains. “The team demonstrates real thought leadership, particularly when it comes to anticipating and responding to customer needs, and there’s a genuine desire to make a difference in people’s lives. In our current climate that attentiveness and energy is going to prove more important than ever.”
AIA’s triple play of life, health and wellbeing also resonates with Ben on a more personal level. In 2009 he was hospitalised with a near-death experience that prompted him to reassess how he’d been managing his sleep, exercise, alcohol and workload. An avid cyclist, he’s now been riding his own personal wellbeing journey for over a decade, and had even signed on to cycle the Tour de France route earlier this year before COVID-19 changed those plans.
Ben considers good leadership to be about surrounding yourself with the right talent, trusting in the competency of others, and celebrating diversity and authenticity in the workplace. “I want people to be happy and successful at work because of who they are, not in spite of it” he explains. “Hiding who you are takes energy, and we can use that energy at an enterprise level. We should be working to bring the left brain of the organisation together with the right brain, marrying planning with instinct.”
