Former HESTA GM joins AIA

AIA Australia has announced the appointment of Kelly Smith as head of innovation.

In this newly-created role, Smith will oversee the development and implementation of AIA's innovation capability across Australia and New Zealand, and drive strategies aimed at creating new product and customer solutions, the firm said.

Smith has over 20 years' experience in strategic innovation and change roles in financial services, most recently as the general manager of operations and insurance experience at HESTA. Before this, she worked for NAB, MLC and Colonial.

Commenting on her appointment, Damien Mu, chief executive of AIA Australia and New Zealand said: "Ware very fortunate to have someone with Kelly's extensive leadership experience and deep industry knowledge join the enterprise leadership team."

Smith added: "I am looking forward to further enhancing [AIA's] innovation capability and creating new ways of working to deliver innovation to our customers and partners. I believe disruption is the new normal and in a world that is highly connected, complex, customer-centric and fast-paced, our people at AIA are central."