Executive director and CEO of Insurance Council Australia (ICA) Robert Whelan has been appointed to the executive board of the Global federation of Insurance Associates (GFIA) following a meeting in Amsterdam.

Whelan has been appointed as membership executive, replacing Leigh Anne Pusey of the American Insurance Association.

Having joined the ICA in 2010, Whelan joins fellow newcomer to the GFIA board former Governor of Idaho Dirk Kempthorne who was elected governor for a two year term.
 
Kempthorne’s predecessor Frank Swedlove said of the appointments: “Being the first chair of the GFIA has been a privilege and I’m delighted to see the progress that has been made over the past two years. I look forward to working with Governor Kempthorne and the executive committee to continue to build on that work.”

Speaking on the role of the GFIA last year, Whelan said of Australia’s role within the organisation: “Our participation in GFIA is helping us enormously in terms of leveraging our advocacy efforts on these important international issues.

“In turn, we are able to tap into GFIA for the benefit of our members and give them a worldwide view of what’s happening in the industry.”

Whelan joins representatives from Mexico, Japan, Canada and Europe on the board which was established in 2012 as the first formal representative body for the global insurance industry and which represents insurers and reinsurers in 58 countries worldwide.