ClearView adds to underwriting team

ClearView has announced the appointment of Sheldon Hatzantonis and Daniel Yianakis as principal underwriters, and Karen James as a new member of its tele-underwriting team.

Mr Hatzantonis is based in Sydney and was previously the NSW state underwriting manager at BT Financial Group and Victorian State Underwriting Manager at Asteron Life.

Mr Yianakis, who is based in Melbourne, joins the firm from BT, where he held a range of underwriting roles including regional underwriting manager. He was also previously an underwriter at Asteron Life and OnePath.

Both Mr Hatzantonis and Mr Yianakis will report to chief underwriter Warren Page, who noted the growing demand for the firm's life insurance product series, ClearView ClearChoice.

“Over the years, ClearView’s distribution and underwriting teams have developed a reputation for being knowledgeable, accessible and helpful, which is a key strength of our offer,” said Mr Page.

“Our senior and experienced staff work closely with advisers, and we will continue building our capability to support our business partners.”

Meanwhile, Ms James, who was previously an administration officer at Mater Health Services and is based in Brisbane, will report to technical underwriting manager Nikki Ashley.

Mr Page said that demand for tele-underwriting has also increased and currently represents around 30 per cent of all underwriting applications.

“Advisers like the ability to outsource the completion of personal statements to us,” he said.

“We can gather medical information and seek personal disclosures, freeing them to spend more time in front of clients.”

ClearView’s head of distribution strategy, Kathryn Williamson, said that the firm is continuing to build its capability in underwriting and distribution to meet the strong support for ClearChoice.

“ClearView has invested significantly in technology, processes and people over the past few years as part of our transformation journey. Our new policy administration system and new underwriting rules engine will underpin future growth,” she said.

“At the same time, we understand the importance of strong dedicated relationships for advice practices to ensure optimal outcomes for their clients.”

Earlier this month, the board of ClearView confirmed it had decided not to proceed with any transactions upon the completion of its strategic review process.

Jon Bragg

Jon Bragg is a journalist for Momentum Media's Investor Daily, nestegg and ifa. He enjoys writing about a wide variety of financial topics and issues and exploring the many implications they have on all aspects of life.