Current Westpac managing director for insurance Sue Houghton will jump ship to QBE as the big four bank offloads its general insurance, mortgage and life businesses to Allianz. Ms Houghton will join the group executive committee and report to interim group CEO Richard Pryce, who took over following the departure of Pat Regan.
“We are delighted to welcome Sue to QBE. She is a highly regarded insurance leader who is known for her sound judgement, resilience and adaptability as well as for cultivating talent, fostering diverse and inclusive teams and driving performance,” Mr Pryce said.
“Sue’s insurance expertise, together with her experience as an executive at a major commercial lines brokerage, will be an asset to QBE, helping us continue to respond to the needs of our customers and brokers. We look forward to her joining the team.”
Ms Houghton is the president of the Insurance Council of Australia and was chief financial and operating officer for the ANZ region for Arthur J Gallagher prior to her role at Westpac. She is a member of the Financial Services Council life insurance board committee and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
“I am very excited to be joining QBE and look forward to working with the AUSPAC team and broader group executive to help drive a more customer-centred, simpler and stronger business in the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific region,” Ms Houghton said.
She will join QBE in August and be based in Sydney.
