Swiss Re executive Noelene Palmer has won this year’s Peter Corrigan International Scholarship.

The Head of Life & Health Claims, Global Service & Delivery took the $10,000 prize with an essay on Coles and Woolworths’ entry to the personal insurance market.

The scholarship, awarded by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and Finity Consulting, was presented at the Australian Insurance Industry Awards on August 20.

It will enable Ms Palmer to pursue international study, which she hopes will “enhance my contribution as a leader in the insurance industry”.

Finity Consulting MD Estelle Pearson says the winning essay features “deep industry insights”.

The scholarship honours Peter Corrigan, whose distinguished career included stints as GM of NRMA Insurance, NRMA Group Acting CEO, Zurich Australia CFO, AMP General Insurance MD, GIO CEO and MD of Trowbridge Consulting, now part of Deloitte. He died suddenly in 2002 aged 46.