The board of Insurtech Australia has named Simone Dossetor as its new CEO, effective in October, as co-founder and current chief Rita Yates departs to pursue new challenges in innovation.

Ms Dossetor has more than 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry, most recently as COO at Munich Re in Australia where she spent almost seven years.

She has served on the Insurtech Australia board since February last year, has been a Non-Executive Director of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) for three years, and previously held roles at Calliden, Deloitte and the Trowbridge Group, now part of Finity.

Ms Yates accepted the CEO role in early 2019 after co-founding Insurtech Australia in October 2017 for the benefit of members and partners across Australia, with a vision to create a world leading insurtech ecosystem.

After “modest beginnings,” Insurtech Australia now supports 80 insurtech start-up and scale-up members and 30 corporate partners across the insurance industry in Australia, with strong global connections through Global Insurtech Alliance.

“I recently made the decision it’s time for me to hand over the executive leadership and pursue new challenges in the innovation ecosystem,” Ms Yates said. “I am incredibly proud of our wonderful Insurtech Australia community. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve.

“With Simone at the helm, I know Insurtech Australia’s future achievements will be inspirational.”

The board, talent partner Blake Oliver and Ms Yates, conducted a robust executive search process over several months to fill the CEO role with a replacement able to continue to build on the organisation’s momentum.

Ms Dossetor pledged to “bring my passion for innovation, transformation and diversity to the next phase of growth and development of the insurtech ecosystem in Australia”.

Insurtech Australia Chairman Eoghan Trehy thanked Ms Yates for her executive leadership on behalf of the board and praised her “energy, commitment and focus on building a strong foundation and community”.

“We are very fortunate to have such a strong insurtech community and ecosystem in Australia and Rita has played a huge part in building that,” Mr Trehy said. “She successfully led Insurtech Australia through its independent establishment and the challenges of the pandemic. We wish her every future success.”