A private health insurer and an insurance-focused law firm have each announced leadership changes taking effect on July 1. Teachers Health Group (THG) is overhauling its executive structure in concert with a pending change at the top, while Gilchrist Connell (GC) has named five new principals across three cities.
Brad Joyce is stepping down after two decades at the helm of THG, a restricted membership fund that covers teachers, nurses, midwives, and their dependants. His successor, Simone Tregeagle, was separately announced before the executive restructure was confirmed. The structural changes consolidate several existing functions into three retooled executive roles, each filled from within THG’s current leadership. Senior actuary Cosimo Maiolo moves into a newly created position – chief actuary and product officer – that brings actuarial work, pricing, business intelligence, and product functions under a single reporting line. The role also absorbs what THG calls emerging member health initiatives.
Paul Abernethy, who has held the chief transformation officer title, shifts into the chief operating officer role. His remit will run from digital and transformation programs through to claims handling and membership services – areas that THG has grouped together on the basis that operational delivery and technology investment are more effective when managed jointly. Group head of marketing Tatiana Papavero takes on the chief customer officer position. The expanded brief covers marketing, growth, and partnerships alongside stakeholder engagement – a consolidation that gives Papavero oversight of how the fund communicates with and retains members.
Tregeagle, speaking before she formally assumes the chief executive role, connected the structural changes to the competitive conditions facing the private health insurance market. “The updated leadership structure reflects a step-change for THG as we evolve to meet the changing needs of our members and the broader healthcare landscape. Teachers, nurses, and midwives dedicate their lives to supporting others. As their health fund, we have a responsibility to ensure they feel equally supported – not just when they’re unwell, but across every stage of their health journey,” Tregeagle said.
Tregeagle said the reorganisation was designed to close the distance between the fund’s product, operational, and customer-facing teams “By bringing together capability across product, operations, and customer engagement, we are creating a more connected and future-focused organisation – one that is better equipped to understand our members, respond to their needs, and deliver truly meaningful support,” she said. Joyce, in his remarks on the appointments, pointed to the need for health funds to move more quickly in a market where member expectations are shifting. “These appointments reflect the depth of talent within our organisation and our shared commitment to the communities we serve. It’s about building a more agile, aligned organisation – one that can respond faster, innovate with purpose, and continue delivering exceptional value in an increasingly competitive environment,” Joyce said.
Gilchrist Connell, which advises exclusively in the insurance sector, has made five principal appointments simultaneously – a number the firm says is among the largest in a single round in its history. The promotions cover employment law, construction, personal injury, professional indemnity, and financial lines. Adriana Reina (pictured left), who practises in Sydney, handles employment, workplace relations, work health and safety, and migration matters for employer clients. Reina also takes instructions from insurers on employer practice liability and work health and safety claims and has advised boards and senior management teams on litigation and internal investigations.
Julian Peake (pictured right), also in Sydney, concentrates on construction and infrastructure disputes. His work spans insurance matters across several policy lines, and he is regularly engaged on claims involving multiple defendants and technical questions of liability. Christopher Harrison, a third Sydney-based appointee, handles personal injury and property damage matters for domestic and international insurer clients. His caseload has included historical institutional abuse claims and other litigation involving significant case management complexity.
In Perth, Jade Wishart acts on professional indemnity, financial lines, and casualty claims for insurers and insureds, covering a broad spread of professional categories and industry sectors. Richard Scougall, who joins the partnership from Melbourne, focuses on employment, industrial relations, and work health and safety matters involving disputes, regulatory scrutiny, and investigations for employer and insurer clients. Chief executive officer Belinda Cohen said the round of promotions recognised a combination of legal capability and internal leadership “This is a genuinely proud moment for the firm. Adriana, Julian, Christopher, Jade, and Richard have each made an outstanding contribution – not just through their technical expertise, but through the way they lead. They’re people that others turn to, and they bring a care and commerciality to their work that our clients and colleagues feel every day. We’re thrilled to see them step into these roles,” Cohen said. All five lawyers were promoted from within the firm’s existing national workforce.
