Retirement of Allianz Australia Chairman John Curtis

24 September 2019

Allianz Australia today announced that the Chairman Mr John Curtis will retire from the Board from 31st December 2019.

As Chairman, Mr Curtis has overseen significant growth at Allianz from a Gross Written Premium of $900 million to a $5 billion group, placing Allianz amongst the top insurance groups in Australia.

Allianz Australia Managing Director Richard Feledy thanked Mr Curtis for his invaluable contribution to the Allianz Australia Board.

“As Chairman, John has played a critical role in the development of the company from Manufacturer’s Mutual Insurance (MMI) to an important contributor to the global Allianz insurance business,” Mr Feledy said.

“John’s broad experience across a range of sectors and his knowledge of financial services through past associations including Chairman of St George Bank and Deputy Chairman of Westpac, has steered Allianz to be a $5 billion enterprise and a leading insurer across many business segments.

“John has also been a strong champion for diversity at Allianz, setting targets for cultural diversity, forging partnerships to promote refugee and youth employment at Allianz, and working for greater female representation at a board and senior management level. John leaves a great legacy in this regard with Allianz on track to meet our gender target of a 40 per cent female leadership team by 2020.”

Mr Curtis said: “It has been a great privilege to serve as Chairman at Allianz Australia and to oversee such significant growth – not just financially but in the role Allianz plays in helping to protect what matters most to our customers.”

“I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank Allianz’s Managing Director Richard Feledy for his strong leadership in what is a challenging time for the insurance and financial services industry. In addition, I have enjoyed working with the shareholder Allianz SE based in Munich. Over many years they have supported strongly the Australian company and have been a pleasure to work with.”

“I would also like to thank my fellow Board members over the period of my tenure. I am confident that Allianz will continue to play a strong role in supporting communities and businesses across Australia.”

Ms Paula Dwyer will take over as Chairman from 1st January 2020. Ms Dwyer joined the Allianz Board in February 2019 and has extensive experience in the public and private sectors across a range of regulated industries, including insurance and banking. She is currently Chairman of Tabcorp Holdings Limited, a non-executive director of ANZ Banking Group and Lion Limited. She was a former member of the ASIC External Advisory Board and Director at Suncorp and RACV. Ms Dwyer has strong industry knowledge and expertise in the areas of insurance, financial services and regulated industries.

Mr Curtis congratulated Ms Dwyer on her appointment as Chairman:

“I am so delighted that Paula has accepted the role of Chairman at Allianz Australia. She is an experienced Chairman with considerable relevant knowledge and expertise which will assist Allianz Australia as it continues its program of change to not only improve business outcomes but also achieve better customer experiences”.

Ms Dwyer said: “I am excited to take on the role as Chairman for a company that has consistently leveraged its considerable expertise and experience to build better communities, better workplaces and to help businesses thrive.

“This is a crucial time for the insurance industry and for Australian financial services more widely, and provides us with an opportunity to renew our focus on our customers and our people.”

Locally, Allianz Australia provides insurance and coverage for over 3.5 million people and businesses. Allianz operates across many business segments including insurance brokers, workers' compensation, financial institutions and motor dealers. In 2018, Allianz Australia was winner of the Large General Insurance Company of the Year (Australia/New Zealand) and named an Employer of Choice in Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Association (WGEA). Parent company Allianz SE is one of the top three insurers globally and a leading international asset manager.

For any media enquiries, journalists can contact our Media team.
Allianz Australia has been securing the future of our customers in Australia since 1914. We deliver a wide range of personal and commercial insurance products and services to more than 4 million policyholders. We also provide support for workers' compensation insurance to around 25% of the top 200 ASX companies, making us one of the leading workers' compensation insurers in Australia.

Allianz Australia Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the worldwide Allianz Group. The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with corporate customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life, and health insurance to assistance services, credit insurance and global business insurance. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are among the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
This article has been prepared by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL234708 (“Allianz”). In some cases, information has been provided to us by third parties and while that information is believed to be accurate and reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed in any way.

Any opinions expressed constitute our views at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither Allianz, nor its employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy or accept responsibility for any loss or liability incurred by you in respect of any error, omission or misrepresentation in this article.
Allianz acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work across Australia. We pay our respect to First Nations Elders past and present.



Any advice here does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions apply. Before making a decision about this insurance, consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS)/Policy Wording and Supplementary PDS (if applicable). Where applicable, the PDS/Policy Wording, Supplementary PDS and Target Market Determination (TMD) for this insurance are available on this website. We do not provide any form of advice if you call us to enquire about or purchase a product.

Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS Licence No. 234708 is the insurer of any general insurance products offered, and Allianz Australia Life Insurance Limited ABN 27 076 033 782 AFS Licence No. 296559 is the insurer of any life insurance products offered. Each entity is responsible for any statements and representations made about its products, on this website.