The General Insurance Code Governance Committee has appointed Julia Davis as its new consumer representative.

Ms Davis started her three-year term this month, taking over from Philippa Heir.

The committee says Ms Davis, who is the Financial Rights Legal Centre’s senior policy and communications officer, is a “highly respected advocate for consumer rights …[she] has been at the forefront of key policy initiatives, representing the interests of consumers across the financial services sector. Her extensive background in legal advocacy, communications and stakeholder engagement has set her up to succeed in this important role as our consumer representative.”

Ms Davis held a similar position on the National Insurance Brokers Association code compliance committee from January 2014 to December 2021, according to her LinkedIn.

The general insurance code committee has thanked Ms Heir for her contribution, saying she played a vital role in “advancing consumer protection and ensuring compliance with the code of practice”.

Ms Heir joined the committee in February 2019, according to her LinkedIn. She recently left the Consumer Action Law Centre based in Melbourne.