Fidelity Life brings in three new partnership managers

Fidelity Life has made three new key appointments to its strategic alliances team, boosting the firm’s partner proposition.

Monday, October 4th 2021, 3:32PM

Bronwyn Kirwan.

The life insurer has appointed Melanie Beattie as its new head of strategic alliances, Sean Craigen as strategic alliance manager – bank and brands and Mike Whitehead as strategic alliance manager – advice and corporate.

Fidelity Life's chief sales and service officer Bronwyn Kirwan says the appointments show they are lifting their value proposition to their partners.

"Our transformation includes broadening our channel mix to help us protect even more New Zealanders, and we see so much opportunity to collaborate with like-minded organisations in delivering modern financial services to New Zealanders.

“Conversations with partners about commissions are now giving way to conversations about customers and strategy, helping us form a strategic roadmap to achieve a shared ambition," Kirwan says.

"We’re excited about strategic relationships with significant advice and customer-led organisations and these new appointments are the first phase of investing to be an outstanding partner."

Fidelity Life’s strategic partners include Farmers Mutual Group and New Zealand Home Loans, and it recently announced a new 15-year partnership with Westpac NZ as part of the proposed acquisition of Westpac Life.

Beattie spent the formative years of her career in the UK starting and selling several businesses in the energy sector before making a switch to corporate – initially with IBM, then with EY as head of market development.

She became head of strategic partnerships at ASB and led their partnership practice across corporate, commercial, SME, and rural/primary sectors.

In 2020 she took up a new role at tech start-up Trade Window as head of global ecosystems.

Sean Craigen is currently at the BNZ leading their general insurance product portfolio and compliance roll out with third parties.

Before this, he worked at IAG in several roles including leadership of their future partnerships, ventures and innovation team.

Also reporting to Beattie, Mike Whitehead is currently a Fidelity Life business manager in the Auckland region and before joining Fidelity Life, held several roles at the BNZ in commercialisation, area management, franchise management and asset financing.

His background also includes time as a Ray White auctioneer and salesperson, and a 14-year stint as a stock agent and auctioneer with Wrightson’s.

Tags: Fidelity Life partnerships recruitment