Risk People Update

Australian investors less trusting of advisers than global peers

A global survey by the CFA Institute reveals that Australian retail investors trust their advisers less than their global peers. The study found that internationally, trust in financial services has reached an all-time high with 86 per cent of institutional investors saying they have “high” or “very high trust”, up from 65 per cent in 2020.

However, trust levels among Australian retail investors lagged, with an increase from 46 per cent to 60 per cent, with trust highest in Australia, the US and Singapore.

Zurich appoints CFO for insurance business

Sarah Maillet has been appointed chief financial officer of Zurich Insurance Group's commercial insurance business. Maillet succeeds Paolo Mantero, who was appointed group chief strategy officer in 2021. Maillet has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, having held various management roles across multiple jurisdictions. Most recently, she was the CFO of Aviva Insurance in the UK.

CountPlus welcomes new CEO

CountPlus announces that Hugh Humphrey will be its new CEO as of July 1, 2022. Humphrey has over two decades’ experience, having worked as general manager of NAB's consumer bank and as general manager and executive general manager at CBA Wealth Management Advice.

The appointment comes after CountPlus announced in February that a new employment agreement would not be entered with former CEO and managing director, Matthew Rowe. Additionally, Laurent Toussaint, interim CEO for the past several months, is now chief financial and operating officer.