Chris Marston-Fergusson is the new Appointed Actuary and Simona Turin the board’s newest director.
Chris Marston Fergusson.
New Zealand’s largest locally owned life insurer Fidelity Life has appointed Chris Marston-Fergusson to the key role of Appointed Actuary (AA); a position unique to licensed insurers under the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act.
The internal promotion has seen Marston-Fergusson step up from his duties as Senior Actuary – a position he’s held since 2019 – and he brings with him more than 20 years’ actuarial experience including five years in the UK and local roles at ANZ and AMP.
Chief financial officer Simon Pennington said it’s a huge advantage to promote internal talent, especially amid a country-wide skills shortage and during a time of significant change for the company and industry.
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chris in a number of roles and have always been amazed by his technical skills and ability to translate complex situations and terminologies with ease.”
The in-house promotion comes as Fidelity Life’s former AA John Smith steps back after 22 years in the role to spend more time with family.
“John has been central to the company’s evolution and has seen the business through some very complex projects, such as the acquisition of Tower’s books in 2013 and, more recently, Westpac Life.
“We will forever be grateful for John’s enormous contribution and thank him for all his hard work over the last two decades,” Pennington said.
Smith officially stepped down as AA last month but will remain in the business as a Senior Consulting Actuary and will continue to support the team with various project work.
Marston-Fergusson took up the AA position on July 1 and will continue his role on the New Zealand Society of Actuaries’ Life Insurance Committee.
Simona Turin joins Fidelity Life board
The Fidelity Life board has appointed digital and technology specialist Simona Turin as its newest director.
Fidelity Life chair Brian Blake said Turin’s strong problem-solving skills and diverse background, working with startups through to large enterprises in New Zealand and overseas, will bring a fresh perspective.
“Simona has extensive experience leading organisations through complex change such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic realignment, and industry disruptions.”
In addition to her board role, Turin will continue her director duties with software companies Planday and Nomos One, as well as her current role as Xero’s executive general manager of business products and is responsible for leading the global teams in building innovations that help small businesses thrive around the globe.
Turin previously held senior digital roles at Air New Zealand and Spark Ventures. Her resume includes military service, fluency in four languages, 15 years on Wall Street, and working and living on four continents.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
