Chief Risk Officer

Chief Risk Officer

A new adventure awaits…

At Zurich we’re on a journey towards a brighter future… A brighter future for you - focused on your career, your wellbeing, and your community - as well as our customers and the planet.

This exciting adventure will drive positive impact. So, if you want to be part of a values led organisation, that is a leader in the insurance industry with a track record of making a real difference and continuously taking steps toward a sustainable future for our people, customers, communities, and our planet…read on!

Let’s create a brighter future together and let’s make a difference

We take pride in uniting our people within an energized culture that empowers everyone to focus on what matters most to our customers, partners and each other. This is an exciting time to be at Zurich as we empower our people to fuel innovation and collaborate across diverse teams.

At Zurich we encourage everyone to be curious, courageous and responsible as we seek out new opportunities to deliver value and delight for our customers. We know we can achieve great things when we put our mind to it. Zurich is a place that you can truly belong and thrive!

About the business

Zurich Australia is a leading life and general insurer in Australia, participating in both retail and corporate markets, providing insurance solutions to customers directly as well as through advisers, brokers and trusted partners.

Risk is a second line function within the Zurich Group across both Life and General Insurance. The Risk function provides leading constructive challenges to enhance transparency on risk-reward trade-offs facilitating risk-informed decision-making.

About this role

A great opportunity exists as Chief Risk Officer, Australia reporting to the Regional Head of Risk, APAC and being part of the Zurich Australia Executive Team.

Leading the 2nd Line Risk Management function (comprising 18 people) and driving risk awareness across Zurich Australia, you will be contributing to the Australian business as a key member of the Zurich Australia LT.

You will shape the ongoing development of Zurich Australia’s Risk Management Framework to face the impacts of a changing risk and regulatory landscape.

You will provide guidance, insights and risk advice on projects, initiatives and business issues to the Zurich Australia business, while championing a strong support, review and challenge capability around the risks the Zurich Australia business faces.

Maintaining a strong and independent control governance and testing capability, you will collaborate with leaders across Group Risk Management, Compliance & Internal Audit as well as external parties such as regulators and external auditors.

You will be trusted to build strong capability and bench strength within the risk management team to ensure the team is well positioned for changes in business environment inc. digital advancement.

Key responsibilities

• Risk Strategy: Own, develop, direct and maintain Zurich Australia’s Risk Management Framework and Strategy.
• Risk Appetite: Assist the Board and CEO to set Zurich Australia’s risk appetite and monitor adherence to appetite and risk tolerances.
• Risk Advisory: Provide a risk advisory service to Zurich Australia with required timely escalation of material local risk items to the Regional Head of Risk and the local CEO member of the local Executive Committee.
• Risk Identification and Assessment: Conduct regular assessments to identify vulnerabilities and evaluate potential impacts to the company's reputation, safety, security, and financial sustainability, at organisational, segment, project, and issue-based levels.
• Risk Response: Provide effective and robust review and challenge to business actions and proposals as appropriate.
• Risk Monitoring: Performing risk monitoring activities and reporting ensuring all risk-related information is reported on a timely basis to the Board, senior management, and regulators as appropriate.
• Risk Culture: Promote a strong risk and governance culture (BeAm) in line with Zurich’s values.
• Controls Assurance & Governance: Oversee Zurich Australia’s control governance programme and independent management testing and assurance.
• Change Management: Responding to and leading projects (including implementation of CPS 230 Operational Risk Management) to meet new Zurich Group and regulatory requirements, adopting an agile and continuous improvement mindset to add value and simplify.
• Management Risk Committee. Chair Zurich Australia’s management risk committee, driving the risk agenda and facilitating discussion of the key risk issues.
• Risk Leadership: Lead Zurich Australia’s Risk function setting direction and objectives, reviewing performance and ensuring that the team has the necessary skills, understanding and training to deliver the team's desired outcomes.

Important to your success

You are an organized, structured, accountable, and committed person, who has:

• At least 20+ years of professional experience working with risk-related matters in the financial services industry. With strong experience in the management of financial, insurance, operational and strategic risk in the financial services industry. Having a good understanding of prudential capital frameworks is an advantage.
• Excellent understanding of the Australian life and general insurance industry including its current and future challenges and ongoing developments, with substantial experience of working within APRA and ASIC regulatory frameworks and engaging with these regulators.
• Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to think strategically, communicate effectively and translate long-term strategic aims into shorter-term plans and goals.
• Ability to efficiently evolve risk management frameworks to address a changing risk landscape, new regulatory or Zurich Group requirements.
• Ability to apply commercial judgement and deal with ambiguity and complexity, with strong analytical skills and strategic orientation, as well as excellent relationship/stakeholder management and presentation skills.
• Academic degree or post-degree qualification in risk management, actuarial studies, economics or other relevant subject.

Belong. Zurich is here to support you

There are so many reasons why Zurich is a great place to be, but here are just a few:

5 weeks leave per year for permanent staff through our new Z leave initiative, as well as 15 days personal/carer’s leave (as we empower our people to manage their own wellbeing); Grow, and thrive in your career (we support and encourage it) with award winning training programs; Work with global, diverse, and inclusive teams; Explore your passions, fuel innovation, drive equity, collaborate and make a positive difference beyond your role; Access programs to stay healthy and feel healthier along with receiving a AUD$500 wellbeing payment per year, plus a AUD$295 new starter e-voucher for your WFH set up (flex work - hybrid working), and other great benefits through our Shine portal;

Access to Family Care (parental leave); Volunteer; Work in our state-of-the-art Green Star rated offices (when you are in the office); and dress for your day. We also plant a tree for every new employee – one of many local initiatives driving our contribution to ambitious global sustainability targets…

…We could go on, but the main point is that Zurich is a great place to be, where you can truly belong and thrive.

Zurich is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair and accessible for all candidates. If you require any special accommodations to participate in our recruitment process, we encourage you to please let us know at the time of your application.

So, if you want to come on an adventure that will build a brighter future together, and feel a sense of togetherness, then please apply today to start your adventure!