TAL Board and executive team
Our Board and executive team are passionate about the value of life insurance and it is their experience and knowledge that has helped us to grow so strongly.
OpenRob Thomas AM
B.Ec, FSIA
Chairman
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Thomas was appointed to the TOWER Australia Board (now TAL) in August 2007. He is chairman of the TAL Board and a member of the Investment Committee, the Remuneration and Nominations Committee, the Technology and Innovation Committee and the Insurance Risk Committee.
Mr Thomas has in excess of 30 years’ experience in the investment and securities industry. He was CEO and subsequently Chairman of Citigroup Australia and New Zealand, Corporate and Investment Bank from the late 1990s until his retirement in 2004.
Mr Thomas is presently a non-executive director of Heartware Limited, Virgin Blue Holdings Limited, REVA Medical Limited, O'Connell Street Associates Pty Limited and a member of the Advisory Board of Nomura. Mr Thomas is Chairman of the Stockbrokers Association of Australia and President of the Library Council of New South Wales. He is resident in Sydney, Australia.
OpenJim Minto
FCA
Managing Director
Jim Minto was appointed Managing Director of TOWER Australia Limited (now TAL) in November 2006 following the separation of the Australian and New Zealand businesses of the TOWER Limited Group. He had previously been Group Managing Director of TOWER Limited, overseeing the trans-Tasman TOWER businesses and reporting to the TOWER Limited Board.
Mr Minto joined TOWER Limited in 1988 in New Zealand, as head of the Group's Trust business and led several other TOWER businesses in New Zealand (including the Managed Funds and Health & Life) before taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer of TOWER New Zealand in early 2002. He left the New Zealand business in November 2002 to take up the role of Chief Executive Officer of TOWER and then in March 2005, he was appointed Chief Executive of the trans-Tasman TOWER Limited Group.
A Chartered Accountant, Mr Minto was a panel member of the Australian Government’s Review of Natural Disasters Insurance in 2011 and is a Board member of the Association of Super Funds of Australia (ASFA), a non-executive Director of Australia Finance Group Limited and a Director of KEA NZ (Australia) Limited. He is resident in Sydney, Australia.
Mr Minto serves on TAL’s Insurance Risk Committee.
OpenFiona Balfour
B.A (Hons), MBA, Grad. Dip. Information Management, FAICD
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mrs Balfour was appointed to the TOWER Australia Board (now TAL) as an independent non-executive director in October 2010. She is chair of the Technology and Innovation Committee and also serves on the Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Mrs Balfour has more than 30 years’ executive experience across a wide range of businesses including Financial Services, Health Administration, Aviation, Education and Information and Telecommunications Services, as well as a range of not-for-profit organisations.
She is a non-executive director of Salmat Limited and Metcash Limited. She is also a Councillor of Knox Grammar School in Wahroonga, NSW, a member of the advisory board for the IT Faculty at Monash University, and a non-executive director of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. She is resident in Sydney, Australia.
OpenDon Findlater
B.Com, ACA
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Findlater was appointed to the TAL Australia Board (now TAL) in 2008. He chairs the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee and also serves on the Insurance Risk Committee.
Mr Findlater was a partner at KPMG for 27 years and has over 40 years of professional audit, accounting and advisory experience with a wide range of Australian financial institutions. Throughout his career at KPMG, Mr Findlater was the APRA approved auditor for a significant number of life and general insurance companies. He is resident in Sydney, Australia.
OpenRoger Garrett
B.Sc, FIA (London), FIAA
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Garrett was appointed to the TAL Board of Directors in August 2011. He is chair of the Insurance Risk Committee and also serves on the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee.
He is well known to the Australian life insurance industry having been the Head of Life for Munich Re from 1997 until his retirement in early 2011. Mr Garrett brings strong actuarial and re-insurance experience to the TAL Boards. He has previously worked for NZI Life and NZI Bank in New Zealand, before moving to Australia as Head of Life for Munich Reinsurance Group.
OpenRalph Pliner
B.Com, LL.B, LL.M
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Pliner was appointed to the TOWER Australia Board (now TAL) in December 2006 and is chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and a member of the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee.
Mr. Pliner was a partner of Baker & McKenzie for over 20 years where he was involved in a wide range of corporate and merger and acquisition transactions, and also advised a number of boards of public listed companies.
Mr. Pliner is presently a non-executive Director of Herzog Services Australia Pty. Limited, Iroko Cardio (Australia) Pty. Limited, Public Interest Advocacy Centre Limited, SDP Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, SDP Australia Services Pty Ltd and Australian Char Pty. Limited. He is resident in Sydney, Australia.
OpenTatsuya (Tachi) Yasukawa
B.A (Law), M.A
Independent Non-Executive Director
Mr Yasukawa was appointed to the TAL Board of Directors in August 2011. He serves on the Investment Committee, the Remuneration and Nominations Committee, the Insurance Risk Committee and the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee.
Mr Yasukawa is presently Managing Director of TY Japan Consulting, a company he set up in 2003 to provide corporate advisory and consulting services to Australian companies wishing to do business in Japan and vice versa. Mr Yasukawa has spent a large part of his career in investment banking and has also had several years’ experience in property investment and development.
Before establishing his own consultancy in March 2003, he worked with The Industrial Bank of Japan (now Mizuho Bank) and SG Warburg (now UBS), both in London and Tokyo, and Matsushita Investment & Development in Sydney and the Gold Coast.
OpenTatsusaburo Yamamoto
B.A (Economics)
Non-Executive Director
Mr Yamamoto was appointed to the TAL Board of Directors in September 2012 and is a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Audit, Compliance and Risk Management Committee.
Mr Yamamoto is the Managing Director of Dai-ichi Life International (Asia Pacific). He is currently responsible for
Dai-ichi Life’s business in the Asia Pacific region focusing on the expansion of new business development as well as enhancing existing operations.
Mr Yamamoto joined Dai-ichi Life in April 1988 and has significant experience, particularly in the investment and overseas business area. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy General Director in Dai-ichi Life Vietnam for two years. He has also had five years of experience working for Dai-ichi Life International UK (now Dai-ichi Life International Europe) in London. He is resident in Hong Kong.
OpenShinichi Aizawa
B.A. (Law)
Non-executive Director
Mr Aizawa was appointed to the TAL Board of Directors in May 2013. Mr Aizawa is an Executive Officer of Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Ltd. He is currently responsible for the management of Dai-ichi Life’s entire international business, including new business developments and management of the existing international businesses in Australia, Vietnam, India and Thailand.
Previous to this role, Mr Aizawa was Executive Vice President of DIAM Co Ltd, a global asset management company jointly owned by Dai-ichi Life that provides investment and advisory services to a range of institutional and corporate clients.
Mr Aizawa joined Dai-ichi Life in April 1983 and has held several senior positions within the company since that time. He has extensive experience, particularly in the investment, asset management and international business areas.
OpenJim Minto
FCA
Managing Director
Jim Minto was appointed Managing Director of TOWER Australia, now TAL Limited, when the TOWER Limited Group demerged its Australian and New Zealand businesses in 2006.
Prior to that he had been Managing Director of various TOWER Limited businesses from 1988-2006 – covering Trustee services, Managed Funds, Health Insurance, Life Insurance, CEO of TOWER NZ and then CEO of TOWER Australia before taking on the role of Group Managing Director of the trans-Tasman TOWER Limited Group.
Mr Minto is a Board member of the Association of Super Funds of Australia (ASFA), Non-executive Director of KEA NZ (Australia) Ltd, Australia Finance Group Limited and a Panel Member of the Natural Disaster Insurance Review initiated by the Federal Government in 2011.
OpenKent Griffin
B.Ec, FIAA
Chief Financial Officer
Kent joined us in April 2012. He is a well rounded professional,who brings to TAL expertise in strategic finance, actuarial, risk, treasury, investor relations and regulatory and capital management. His grounding in the interrelated fields in the life insurance, wealth management and banking sectors are invaluable to us.
OpenBrett Clark
B.Com, FIA
CEO Retail Life
Brett’s expertise in the world of financial advice and his extensive life insurance experience uniquely qualify him to run the retail advice side of our business.
Since he stepped in to his role in 2008, Brett's familiarity with the advice profession has led to the development of market leading products along with tools and services for advisers that have made TAL a leading player in this highly competitive space.
OpenGeoff Black
B.Com
CEO Investments
Geoff’s career charts the course of the growth of life insurance in Australia, as a key player at every stage of its growth, including as Managing Director for Lumley Life and PrefSure.
Geoff joined TAL as CEO of Group Life following the acquisition PrefSure in 2006. He is a genuine enthusiast with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry and adds to the breadth and depth of our expertise on a daily basis.
OpenAndrew Boldeman
B.Ec, FIAA
CEO Group Life
Andrew has been intensively involved in the growth of our Group business since 2007, bringing flexibility and creativity to the role and helping to position TAL as a leader in the Group life space.
Along with his enthusiasm and ‘can-do’ approach, Andrew's ability to identify new business opportunities is underpinned by outstanding actuarial skills, allowing him to implement solutions that meet the needs of our business partners and their customers.
OpenJohn Hoyle
B.A (Hons)
CEO TAL Direct
John joined us in April 2012. He brings to us broad experience in direct insurance and direct marketing from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. His first-class thinking and hands-on approach keep TAL Direct firmly at the forefront of innovation.
With strong marketing flair, his ability to continue driving fresh new products and services, delivered in the way our customers want them, offers real value.
OpenPeter Noble
B.Com, LL.B
Head of Corporate Governance
A lawyer with special expertise in corporate governance and risk management, Peter joined us in 2007 and his contributions have since formed the foundation for corporate leadership at TAL.
Along with his extensive legal experience, Peter has the talent and passion to keep us ahead of the curve when it comes to corporate conduct and governance.
OpenPhilippa Ellis
B.Sc, B.Com
Head of Corporate Affairs & Strategic Marketing
Philippa’s various roles with TAL since joining in 2007 make her ideally suited to her position, with a combination of skills in investor relations, extensive corporate knowledge and experience across financial services.
Philippa held a number of senior roles in TOWER Limited in New Zealand, and brings valued experience and perspectives to the TAL team.
OpenPenny Coates
Head of People and Culture
With a strong track record in driving transformational change and culture among some of our leading financial services organisations, Penny has been with us since 2011.
Her extensive expertise in executive roles in both Human Resources and line management will be invaluable as we continue to grow at TAL.
OpenToru Nagashima
Dai-ichi Life Liaison Executive
Toru Nagashima is an alternate director for the TAL Directors from Dai-ichi Life, Takayuki Kotani and Tetsuya Kikuta.
Toru joined TAL in 2009 to further develop an ongoing relationship between the company and Dai-ichi Life. He is now in the key role of reinforcing coordination with the Head Office for the company to implement its strategic plans.
Toru joined Dai-ichi Life in April 1983 and has significant business experience, particularly in the investment area.