Acenda and Resolution Life Australasia congratulates Ms. Yvonne Le Bas and Ms. Karen Malzard on their appointment as the future Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Group Chief Risk Officer (CRO), respectively, of the Acenda Group.

Ms. Le Bas and Ms. Malzard’s appointments follow Nippon Life’s announcement in December 2024 that it had agreed to acquire 100% of the shares of Resolution Life. On completion of this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Acenda and Resolution Life Australasia will merge to form the Acenda Group, one of the largest life insurance businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

The appointments further strengthen the leadership of the merged Group, together with the previously announced future Group Chief Executive Officer, Chris de Bruin, future Acenda Board Chair, Mr. Craig Dunn, and future Independent Non-Executive Directors. The appointments will take effect upon completion of the transaction.

Mr. Craig Dunn, future Independent Chair of the Acenda Group said:
“I would like to extend my congratulations to Yvonne and Karen on their appointments; an exciting milestone in establishing the Acenda Group. Yvonne and Karen, alongside Group CEO Chris de Bruin, bring deep expertise and strong leadership capabilities to Acenda. I have great confidence in their ability to lead the business with integrity and a commitment to our customers and partners across Australia and New Zealand.”

Mr. Chris de Bruin, future Group CEO of the Acenda Group said:
“I am excited to work alongside Yvonne and Karen as part of Acenda’s future leadership team. Their combined experience across financial services and life insurance, as well as their strong leadership capabilities will benefit Acenda as we lead the merged organisation through this important time for our business and the industry.”

Biography – Yvonne Le Bas
Yvonne Le Bas is a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of experience across the financial services, property, and oil sectors in Australia and internationally. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Resolution Life Australasia, a role she has held since 2020. Before joining Resolution Life, Yvonne held several senior finance roles, including CFO at BT Financial Group and Acting Deputy CFO & General Manager of Enterprise Investments at Westpac Banking Group.

Biography – Karen Malzard
Karen Malzard is a senior executive in Australia’s financial services industry, currently serving as the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) at Resolution Life Australasia. In this role, she leads the Risk and Compliance team, overseeing risk management and compliance functions across the organisation.