[GRTV] Where Fidelity Life is heading

Fidelity Life chief sales and service officer Bronwyn Kirwan sits down with Philip Macalister of Good Returns to discuss where the company is heading, the future of commissions and what its new shareholders mean to the business.

Tuesday, October 18th 2022, 7:51PM

by Kerry Meadows-Bonner

Kirwan shares the company’s current transformation and strategy developments. With two new shareholders- Ngai Tahu Holdings and New Zealand Superfund under its belt and the continued customer-led focus.

As New Zealand’s largest locally owned life insurance company, Fidelity is in the throes of its “Watershed Moment” with the acquisition of Westpac Life, under Fidelity’s umbrella, welcoming 150,000 customers and 50 new team members.

Also of importance is its technology transformation, formerly called Project Watson, to become a more enabled digital life insurance company.

Kirwan says the technology transformation is strategic and will underpin long term aspirations to be a customer-led insurer.

With that, there is discussion surrounding the future of Fidelity and especially commissions - a sensitive topic but important.

Kirwan says commissions have a place in underpinning a sustainable advice community, but there also needs to be a balance where advisers are compensated fairly too.

“If changes were to be made to the commission framework here in New Zealand, we might expect similar adverse outcomes for Kiwi’s like we are seeing in Australia, which puts access to insurance advice beyond the average New Zealander.”

"That is something we really need to try and avoid.” says Bronwyn.

Looking ahead, the recent launch of Career Connect - Fidelity’s new collaborative programme aimed at bringing youth and diversity to the industry,

Kirwan says this is a step in the right direction for alignment in diversity and the population of New Zealand today.