PPS Mutual, Wotton Kearney, and Gilchrist Connell have announced senior appointments and promotions across strategy, product, liability, litigation, and regulatory work in the Australian insurance market.
The moves include a newly created strategy role at PPS Mutual, two senior hires in Wotton Kearney’s Melbourne general liability practice, and a series of appointments and promotions at Gilchrist Connell across its Australian offices.
PPS Mutual has appointed Matthew Pilcher (pictured immediately below) as director of strategy and promoted Avanti Patki (pictured above) to head of product, with both appointments taking effect from October 1, 2026.
The appointments come as the mutual providing life and income protection cover to professionals marks 10 years in the Australian market. PPS Mutual said it now has more than 18,000 members and in-force premiums approaching $150 million.
Pilcher joined PPS Mutual in 2014, before its Australian launch, and has served as director of proposition for more than a decade. His previous experience includes 14 years at Munich Re of Australasia, where he most recently held the role of manager, client solutions.
In his new position, Pilcher will oversee the insurer’s long-term strategy and new initiatives. “I’ve been part of this journey since before we launched, and seeing PPS Mutual grow to more than 18,000 members and approaching A$150 million of in-force premiums has been remarkable,” Pilcher said.
He added: “But scale isn’t the goal in itself. What it gives us is the capacity to do more for the professionals who own this business, and for the advisers who look after them. As a mutual, every opportunity we pursue has to pass a simple test: does it deliver value and peace of mind to our Members and their families? That’s the lens I’ll bring to this role as we look at where we go next.”
Patki, who is currently senior product actuary and member strategy & engagement manager, will oversee product development, pricing, product evolution, and member eligibility.
She joined PPS Mutual in 2021 and previously held actuarial positions at Macquarie Group and AMP. Her experience includes insurance pricing and profitability, asset liability management, strategy, and valuations.
“Our Professionals Choice suite was built on a clear premise: that cover should be designed around how professionals’ careers and lives actually unfold. My focus will be on keeping it that way. That means making sure the product evolves as our members’ needs change, is priced sustainably for the long term, and is accessible to more of the professionals who can benefit from it,” Patki said.
PPS Mutual said its annual lapse rate was 6.4%, compared with an industry average of 14.3%, based on the NMG Retail Advice Channel Risk Distribution Monitor as of June 30, 2026.
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Wotton Kearney has appointed Claire Gomo as partner and Andrew Karasmanis as special counsel in Melbourne, with both joining the firm’s general liability team from Hunt & Hunt.
Gomo’s practice covers personal injury, workers’ compensation, public and product liability, occupiers’ liability, latent claims, and occupational disease litigation. She also works on local government and infrastructure matters, as well as risk management, coverage, and policy analysis.
Karasmanis focuses on personal injury litigation and works with insurers, employers, and corporate clients on matters involving workers’ compensation, dust disease, public liability, and recovery claims.
Andrew Seiter, Melbourne general liability lead at Wotton Kearney, said the appointments came against a claims environment involving injury and liability exposures. “Victoria remains one of the most challenging claims environments in Australia, with some of the highest claims costs in the country, with a significant increase in psychiatric and psychological injury claims,” Seiter said.
Gomo said the move would involve working on complex liability and contentious claims. “Wotton Kearney’s deep insurance expertise and practical approach make it a natural fit for my practice. I’m looking forward to helping clients navigate complex liability and contentious claims,” she said.
Gilchrist Connell has appointed Peter Mariotto and Teron Stone as special counsel in Perth as part of a wider series of appointments and promotions across its Australian offices.
Mariotto (pictured immediately below) specialises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with experience covering infrastructure and property disputes, financial lines, and regulatory matters.
Stone (pictured immediately below) specialises in insurance litigation, including motor injury, workers’ compensation, public liability, and general insurance matters.
The firm has also appointed Rebecca Atalla, Lily Barbouttis, Erinna Lethbridge, Samantha Santiago, and Scott Thompson as senior associates in Sydney and Brisbane.
Christopher Hockings, Matthew Robertson, and Imogen Scott have joined as associates in Sydney, while Umema Parekh and Joyce Yeh have been appointed lawyers in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively.
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The firm has also promoted Gabrielle Inga and Sylvia Biesenbach to senior associate in Perth, Liam Donovan to lawyer in Brisbane, Lais Ferragut and Nikki Stevens to paralegal in Sydney and Adelaide, respectively, and Eliana Teixeira to operations assistant in Sydney.
Gilchrist Connell CEO Belinda Cohen said the appointments and promotions would add expertise across the firm’s practice areas. “Our people are central to the service we provide to our clients and the culture we have built as a firm. By continuing to invest in and grow our expertise across our practice areas, we are well positioned to support clients with high-quality, commercially focused legal advice,” Cohen said.
The firm operates from offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney and advises insurers on coverage issues and claims across general insurance classes.
