Dear Member,

In this edition of CEO Connect, I will be sharing a half-year update on our performance, key initiatives following feedback provided by Members and exciting details about the 2024 Unimutual Annual Conference.

Half-Year update

For the first time, Unimutual is providing a formal update on our first six-months of the 2022/23 protection year.

As a Member-owned organisation, we deliver value for money, and create economic value for our Members. We pass financial benefits on to Members through economic contributions, and when we make surpluses, they are invested back into the organisation for the benefit of our Members.

As you will see in this half-year update, we have delivered several key benefits for our Members in the first half of this protection year. We are also projecting a small surplus this financial year, due to low claims activity and higher than expected investment returns. You can read the half-year update here.

In the second half of 2023, our focus will be on delivering a smooth and seamless 2023/24 protection renewal through personalised, tailored renewal presentations for Members. These presentations will be held from 9 October 2023, with invitations to be sent to Members and Brokers in August.

Acting on Member feedback

Member feedback is essential for delivering a great Member experience. However, feedback without action is a missed opportunity.

The most recent Member Experience Survey and one-on-one engagements, revealed Members want Unimutual to provide two things – more learning and development opportunities, and more transparency in operations.

In response to this, I am introducing a new role within the organisation – Business Support, Compliance and Training Manager.  This role will involve responsibility for overseeing our compliance program. They will ensure Unimutual remains in-step with legislative, regulatory, and community expectations. I look forward to introducing the successful candidate to you in time and will share further information about the compliance program in the coming months.

The Business Support, Compliance and Training Manager will also deliver Member learning and development opportunities in risk prevention and risk protection. According to the feedback provided, the highest priority identified by our Members is for Introductory Sessions to support improved understanding of risk protections, risk prevention and the structures of a mutual. Pilot sessions were held this month and were well received, with the initial session selling out very quickly. Supplementary sessions will be arranged, so if you are interested in attending a future session, please email the team at: service@unimutual.com.au.

Save the Date: Unimutual Conference 2024

Our Mutual has the unique ability to foster collaboration between Members, playing a key role in knowledge transfer through the facilitation of industry training, forums and discussion groups, to help Members develop their own policies and procedures.

I’m delighted to confirm the next Unimutual Conference will be held in Hobart between Wednesday 13 and Friday 15 March 2024! Our M.C at the conference will be Theo Kapodistrias – a leading global lawyer, TEDx speaker and former University of Tasmania staff member. We’re delighted for Theo to bring his unique insights and experiences to our conference. I can also advise that Professor Rufus Black, Vice Chancellor and President at University of Tasmania will be our keynote speaker.

Conference invitations will be distributed from Wednesday 1 November 2023, so be sure to save the dates today.

Privacy Matters Webinar

As the sector’s risk protection and risk prevention partner, Unimutual is the only provider specifically dedicated to the higher education and research sector. To ensure we continue to deliver on our purpose and meet the ever-evolving needs of our Members, we will be hosting another webinar on Thursday 7 September to be presented by Patrick Riordan, Principal at Thompson Cooper Lawyers.

Patrick will be providing insights on privacy legislation in Australia. In NSW the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 has recently been amended in a way that increases burdens on public sector agencies around the management of personal information and mandatory notification of data breaches. Similarly, the Commonwealth Government is moving to reform the Privacy Act 1988 across many areas.  The reforms being considered, if enacted, will increase the burden on businesses and potentially broaden the avenues for persons affected by data breaches to seek compensation. Invitations to register for the webinar will be sent to Members and Brokers shortly.

Thank you once again for reading our latest edition of CEO Connect. As always, if there is anything the team can do to support you, please do not hesitate to let us know via email at service@unimutual.com.au or contact me directly at Geoff.Henderson@unimutual.com.au

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Henderson

Chief Executive Officer

e: geoff.henderson@unimutual.com.au

p:  +61 2 9169 6604  m: +61 (0) 417 887 513

Read previous CEO Connect newsletters here.

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