Fidelity Life welcomes new head of regulatory affairs

Fidelity Life has announced the appointment of Sam Kelly as its new head of regulatory affairs. In the role, Kelly will be responsible for building and maintaining the insurer’s relationships with regulators, policy makers, and industry bodies to help ensure that the company meets its various obligations.

Kelly worked most recently as ASB Bank’s head of government relations and regulatory affairs, with more than 11 years’ experience in the financial services sector. This provides him with a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory environment and strong relationships with government and industry stakeholders.

“A significant change underway”

Before his tenure at ASB, Kelly worked at AIA, then named Sovereign, as a solicitor and in management roles, a posting which provided him with an understanding of the life insurance sector and the often-nuanced challenges that the industry faces.

Fidelity Life chief risk officer Adrian Riminton said that Kelly will be a significant asset for the company as it navigates regulatory changes and delivers its customer-led transformation.

“Sam’s background is a perfect fit for us, especially as we move into an increasingly regulated environment,” Riminton said.

Noting Kelly’s experience with the conduct and culture reviews by the Financial Markets Authority and Reserve Bank, Riminton also said that Kelly will be of value as he takes the lead on ensuring Fidelity Life’s reputational and regulatory risks are well-managed and in line with customer and regulator expectations.

“There’s significant change underway both in our business and our industry, so Sam’s deep understanding of financial services law, policy and regulation, coupled with his life insurance experience, will be invaluable as we make these transitions,” Riminton said.

Fidelity Life also recently opened applications for the second batch of its financial adviser training program, Career connect.

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