Fidelity Life shifts gears on partnership strategy.

Media release

4 October 2021

The pace of Fidelity Life’s transformation continues, with a number of key appointments to its new-look strategic alliances team boosting the firm’s partner proposition.

The appointments of Melanie Beattie (Head of Strategic Alliances), Sean Craigen (Strategic Alliance Manager – Bank and Brands) and Mike Whitehead (Strategic Alliance Manager – Advice and Corporate) were announced by Fidelity Life Chief Sales and Service Officer Bronwyn Kirwan today.

“These appointments show we’re lifting our value proposition to our partners. Our transformation includes broadening our channel mix to help us protect even more New Zealanders, and we see so much opportunity to collaborate with like-minded organisations in delivering modern financial services to New Zealanders.

“Conversations with partners about commissions are now giving way to conversations about customers and strategy, helping us form a strategic roadmap to achieve a shared ambition. We’re excited about strategic relationships with significant advice and customer-led organisations and these new appointments are the first phase of investing to be an outstanding partner”, says Bronwyn.

Fidelity Life’s strategic partners include Farmers Mutual Group (FMG) and New Zealand Home Loans (NZHL), and it recently announced a new 15-year partnership with Westpac NZ as part of the proposed acquisition of Westpac Life.

The new appointments.

Melanie Beattie joins Fidelity Life in the newly created role of Head of Strategic Alliances, spearheading a new-look team and shifting gears with the firm’s strategic partnering approach.

Melanie spent the formative years of her career in the UK starting and selling a number of businesses in the energy sector before making a switch to corporate – initially with IBM, then with EY as Head of Market Development. She became Head of Strategic Partnerships at ASB and led their partnership practice across corporate, commercial, SME, and rural/primary sectors. In 2020 she took a up new role at tech start up Trade Window as Head of Global Ecosystems.

Reporting to Melanie, Sean Craigen takes up the role of Strategic Alliance Manager – Bank and Brands. Sean is currently at BNZ leading their general insurance product portfolio and compliance roll out with third parties. Prior to this Sean worked at IAG in a number of roles including leadership of their future partnerships, ventures and innovation team.

Also reporting to Melanie, Mike Whitehead is taking up the new role of Strategic Alliance Manager – Advice and Corporate. Mike’s currently a Fidelity Life Business Manager in the Auckland region and prior to joining Fidelity Life, he held a number of roles at BNZ in commercialisation, area management, franchise management and asset financing. His background also includes time as a Ray White auctioneer and salesperson, and a 14-year stint as a stock agent and auctioneer with Wrightson’s.