Article
12 September 2025
Smart digital support smooths road to recovery
First published in the Australian Financial Review on 11 September, 2025.
Australia’s workforce has undergone dramatic changes over the past four decades. Where once heavy industry and manual trades dominated, today more than two-thirds of Australians work in professional, clerical, health or service roles.
As the economy has moved from blue-collar to white-collar, the risks people face have shifted too. The dangers are no longer broken bones but stress, burnout and mental health – a shift that has been profound for life insurers.
“When people think about life insurance, they think it’s only needed for when people pass away unexpectedly,” says Andrew Beevors, chief claims and transformation officer at Acenda. “They think of how it supports loved ones left behind, whereas a lot of the products and services we provide are actually helping Australians get through tough times when they’re alive.”
Against that backdrop, life insurers are being asked to do more than simply write cheques. They are being challenged to support customers before, during and after health crises – and to provide tools that fit into everyday lives.
“Everything we’re hearing from Australians is about relevance to their life here and now,” Beevors says. “They want support when they’re alive. They want proactive help and a more active brand. That’s forcing the whole industry to evolve.”
Enter Acenda. A new brand with deep roots – previously MLC Life Insurance, with a 135-year history and the backing of global giant Nippon Life – Acenda is repositioning itself as a partner in Australians’ wellbeing, not just a safety net.
Central to that repositioning is Vivo Companion, a digital recovery and wellness platform launched this year. The app tracks sleep, diet, activity and other holistic wellness factors; connects users with support services such as nutrition and exercise support, resilience and mental health support services; and provides personalised prompts and nudges depending on individual customer need.
“Essentially it’s a recovery companion in your pocket,” Beevors says. “The science is clear: when customers can take control of their own return-to-health journey, outcomes are better. Vivo Companion empowers them to do just that.”
Unlike a claims form hidden in a drawer, the app is interactive.
A customer with a mental health claim might be onboarded, connected with Empower (Acenda’s proprietary mental health support service), and use it to track sleep or consult nutritional support services, depending on the personal need of the customer. The goal is to provide structured but flexible support that adapts to the needs of a customer’s recovery progress.
So far, customers are engaging with the tool in greater numbers than expected. Beevors says digital apps in financial services typically see usage rates of 5 to 10 per cent.
“We’re at around 28 per cent, which is well above initial benchmarks,” he says. “Customers are telling us it’s really helpful, and we’re seeing time on the app and service utilisation steadily increase.”
Feedback shapes the product in real time, allowing Acenda to expand useful services and dial back those less valued.
The digital pivot is also providing a new way for superannuation trustees and financial advisers to engage with members and clients. Many super funds struggle to connect with members before retirement age. Offering a wellness and recovery app creates a reason to engage younger cohorts, Beevors says.
For advisers, too, the tool has value.
“Advisers are looking for meaningful ways to connect beyond pure financial advice,” he says. “Wellness is a holistic concept now – financial, physical, social and mental. Vivo Companion gives them a platform to support those wider conversations.”
The app can be white labelled, allowing advisers and trustees to present it under their own brand while drawing on Acenda’s underlying infrastructure.
Acenda’s new positioning comes as it transitions away from the long-familiar MLC Life Insurance brand – once so prominent it had office towers named after it. With Nippon Life’s support, the company has taken the opportunity to reset.
“Our parent company is a mutual in Japan, so it exists in service of supporting members,” Beevors says. “That DNA is now well and truly embedded in Acenda. The brand transition has forced us to think harder about who we are, what we stand for, and how we stay relevant to Australians today.”
The result is a fresh brand platform – Take Life On – and a renewed focus on active, living support.
“We’re meeting customers where they want to be met, and increasingly that’s digital,” Beevors says. “It’s about accessibility, relevance and helping people navigate life with confidence.”
Industry analysts agree that insurers can no longer define themselves purely by claims.
Capgemini, in its World Life Insurance Report 2025, notes that best-in-class insurers deliver far stronger customer experiences, with a 38 per cent higher Net Promoter Score than their peers.
The firm describes the new model as wellness-as-a-service – where insurers provide customers with tools, tips and personalised guidance to improve both physical and financial health. For insurers, this shift not only strengthens engagement but can also reduce claims and improve risk outcomes.
The evolution underway at Acenda mirrors this broader rethink across the life insurance sector. Where once the industry was defined by policies that came into play only at death, it is now shifting toward tools that help people live better.
For Beevors, that shift is not optional but essential.
“Australians are challenging us to be relevant,” he says. “That means being there not just in the worst moments, but throughout the recovery journey – and in everyday life too.”
Australia’s workforce has undergone dramatic changes over the past four decades. Where once heavy industry and manual trades dominated, today more than two-thirds of Australians work in professional, clerical, health or service roles.
As the economy has moved from blue-collar to white-collar, the risks people face have shifted too. The dangers are no longer broken bones but stress, burnout and mental health – a shift that has been profound for life insurers.
“When people think about life insurance, they think it’s only needed for when people pass away unexpectedly,” says Andrew Beevors, chief claims and transformation officer at Acenda. “They think of how it supports loved ones left behind, whereas a lot of the products and services we provide are actually helping Australians get through tough times when they’re alive.”
Against that backdrop, life insurers are being asked to do more than simply write cheques. They are being challenged to support customers before, during and after health crises – and to provide tools that fit into everyday lives.
“Everything we’re hearing from Australians is about relevance to their life here and now,” Beevors says. “They want support when they’re alive. They want proactive help and a more active brand. That’s forcing the whole industry to evolve.”
Enter Acenda. A new brand with deep roots – previously MLC Life Insurance, with a 135-year history and the backing of global giant Nippon Life – Acenda is repositioning itself as a partner in Australians’ wellbeing, not just a safety net.
Central to that repositioning is Vivo Companion, a digital recovery and wellness platform launched this year. The app tracks sleep, diet, activity and other holistic wellness factors; connects users with support services such as nutrition and exercise support, resilience and mental health support services; and provides personalised prompts and nudges depending on individual customer need.
“Essentially it’s a recovery companion in your pocket,” Beevors says. “The science is clear: when customers can take control of their own return-to-health journey, outcomes are better. Vivo Companion empowers them to do just that.”
Unlike a claims form hidden in a drawer, the app is interactive.
A customer with a mental health claim might be onboarded, connected with Empower (Acenda’s proprietary mental health support service), and use it to track sleep or consult nutritional support services, depending on the personal need of the customer. The goal is to provide structured but flexible support that adapts to the needs of a customer’s recovery progress.
So far, customers are engaging with the tool in greater numbers than expected. Beevors says digital apps in financial services typically see usage rates of 5 to 10 per cent.
“We’re at around 28 per cent, which is well above initial benchmarks,” he says. “Customers are telling us it’s really helpful, and we’re seeing time on the app and service utilisation steadily increase.”
Feedback shapes the product in real time, allowing Acenda to expand useful services and dial back those less valued.
The digital pivot is also providing a new way for superannuation trustees and financial advisers to engage with members and clients. Many super funds struggle to connect with members before retirement age. Offering a wellness and recovery app creates a reason to engage younger cohorts, Beevors says.
For advisers, too, the tool has value.
“Advisers are looking for meaningful ways to connect beyond pure financial advice,” he says. “Wellness is a holistic concept now – financial, physical, social and mental. Vivo Companion gives them a platform to support those wider conversations.”
The app can be white labelled, allowing advisers and trustees to present it under their own brand while drawing on Acenda’s underlying infrastructure.
Acenda’s new positioning comes as it transitions away from the long-familiar MLC Life Insurance brand – once so prominent it had office towers named after it. With Nippon Life’s support, the company has taken the opportunity to reset.
“Our parent company is a mutual in Japan, so it exists in service of supporting members,” Beevors says. “That DNA is now well and truly embedded in Acenda. The brand transition has forced us to think harder about who we are, what we stand for, and how we stay relevant to Australians today.”
The result is a fresh brand platform – Take Life On – and a renewed focus on active, living support.
“We’re meeting customers where they want to be met, and increasingly that’s digital,” Beevors says. “It’s about accessibility, relevance and helping people navigate life with confidence.”
Industry analysts agree that insurers can no longer define themselves purely by claims.
Capgemini, in its World Life Insurance Report 2025, notes that best-in-class insurers deliver far stronger customer experiences, with a 38 per cent higher Net Promoter Score than their peers.
The firm describes the new model as wellness-as-a-service – where insurers provide customers with tools, tips and personalised guidance to improve both physical and financial health. For insurers, this shift not only strengthens engagement but can also reduce claims and improve risk outcomes.
The evolution underway at Acenda mirrors this broader rethink across the life insurance sector. Where once the industry was defined by policies that came into play only at death, it is now shifting toward tools that help people live better.
For Beevors, that shift is not optional but essential.
“Australians are challenging us to be relevant,” he says. “That means being there not just in the worst moments, but throughout the recovery journey – and in everyday life too.”