KPMG Partner Pauline Blight-Johnston has been appointed CEO and MD of Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia.

She will start on March 2, taking over from acting CEO Duncan West, who will continue to serve as an independent director. Mr West is also Chairman of Hollard Insurance.

The mortgage insurer announced Ms Blight-Johnston's appointment last month, ending a months-long search locally and internationally for a permanent candidate to fill the role vacated by Georgette Nicholas, who returned to the US at the end of last year.

Ms Blight-Johnston was formerly a partner in KPMG’s actuarial and financial risk practice and led the consultancy’s life insurance sector. Before that, she was director for group strategy at Challenger.

She has also held several management roles at AMP from May 2013 to December 2016, including as group executive insurance, superannuation and risk management and director wealth protection and mature products.