GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Our Ark Mutual is governed by a Board of Directors that includes Non-Executive, Independent Directors, Member Representative Directors and other Directors.

For more information about the Board construction, please read the Constitution.

The experience of the directors spans insurance and risk protection, community-building organisations, mutual operations, financial management and governance. 

Our Ark Mutual has appointed Picnic Labs as its mutual manager. This allows the Mutual to operate efficiently and minimise operational expenses. Picnic provides product design, underwriting, reinsurance placement, pricing, claims, marketing & member engagement to Our Ark. Picnic also has governance responsibilities at the Board level.

GOVERNANCE

The Our Ark Board

CHARLES POLLACK
‍CEO, Our Ark Mutual
CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT, OAM
Non-Executive Director

Rowan is a respected Company Director with significant experience in financial services including life insurance, general insurance, superannuation, and statutory insurance schemes.

His extensive experience includes 26 years in senior roles at Suncorp including EGM of Actuarial Services and Chief Actuary.

Rowan has first-hand experience in the governance of mutual funds and protecting the interests of members of those funds including life insurance, superannuation, property funds management and another mutual discretionary fund.

His current directorships and commitments include Non-Executive Director of QInsure, Integrity Life, and Chair and Non-Executive Director of LFI Group.

He also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Motor Accident Insurance Commission QLD.

Rowan is a qualified actuary and brings expert understanding in liability assessment, risk-based pricing, risk management, capital management and reinsurance assessment.

Charlie has over 25-years’ experience in General Insurance in Australia and is a Fellow of the Actuaries Institute of Australia.

Prior to joining Picnic Labs as CEO, he was the Chief Actuary of Youi Insurance for 9 years.

He has previously held actuarial roles at FAI and Suncorp, where he was the principal actuary for 10 years.

His extensive professional career has covered all aspects of insurance operations, pricing, underwriting, product design, reinsurance, plus capital and financial management.

Charlie is the designated CEO of Our Ark Mutual on behalf of the Board and CEO of Picnic Labs, managers of the mutual.

Chris is the Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland.

He was ordained in 1988 and for more than 20 years has been the priest in of the Kuranda district plus the region spanning from Cairns and Cooktown out to the Gulf of Carpentaria and taking in the Torres Strait Islands.

He has been Archdeacon of North Queensland since 2007 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 in recognition of his life-long contribution to the Anglican Church and the communities within his Diocese.

Chris is a director of Trinity Anglican school in Cairns, as a representative of the Anglican Diocese of North Queensland.

In addition, he is the former chair of Tourism Kuranda and is actively involved with the local ambulance committee, as well as providing support to local schools and childcare services, and the Kuranda Neighbourhood Centre.

Chris is the appointed Member representative Director of Our Ark Mutual.

Christopher Wright, Non Executive Director of Our Ark MutualCharles Pollack, CEO of Our Ark Mutual, Executive Director
ROWAN WARD
‍Chair
Rowan Ward - Chair of Our Ark Mutual
DAVID ROCKLEY
Non-Executive Director
DANIEL BUNNING
‍Non-Executive Director

Simone is the Chief Actuary of Picnic, the Mutual Manager of Our Ark.

She leads actuarial, pricing, reinsurance, reserving and capital management across Picnic managed mutuals.

Previously, Simone held numerous roles at Youi including, Head of Corporate Actuarial, Appointed Actuary and Head of Reserving and Capital.

Prior to joining Youi, Simone held several actuarial roles within APRA, the insurance industry's corporate regulator.

Simone is also the Vice Chair of the Catastrophe & Reinsurance Symposium in Australia, an event that brings together leading scientists, modellers and industry professionals to learn the latest in managing and modelling catastrophic events.

David is a professional Accountant with specialist understanding of small businesses and primary industries accounting, business management and taxation.

He is a Fellow of both CPA Australia and Tax Institute Australia.

He has extensive involvement in many community groups including Queensland Junior Cricket, Nepali Family Inc, The Anglican Diocese of North Queensland, Carpentaria Freemasons, and the Sandgate Home for the Aged in Brisbane.

In recognition of his governance and contributions to their communities, David is a life member of Queensland Junior Cricket, Cricket Far North, Cairns Cricket and Weipa Bowls Club.

David is an appointed Director, representing an MCI holding organisation.

Daniel is an experienced director with broad and diversified background in business operations, tourism, development delivery and commerce.

‍He has been an active participant in relevant tourism industry bodies.

‍Daniel is currently a Shareholder and Board Director of the following companies: TAG, Happy Travels, Mojo Surf and Goki.

David Rockley, Non Executive Director of Our Ark Mutual
SIMONE COLLINS
‍ Director
Simone Collins, Executive Director of Our Ark Mutual
Chris has an extensive background in insurance spanning more than 35 years across underwriting, claims, legal, compliance and governance.

He is Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at Picnic Labs.

Chris was Head of Compliance for Australia at Allianz Partners where he oversaw compliance reforms and assisted with the remediation program from the recommendations from the Hayne Royal Commission.

He was also part of the original Executive team at Youi and spent almost a decade as Head of Legal and Compliance and Group Company Secretary

Prior to this time, Chris  was the General Manager for a Lloyd’s Coverholder, Booker International which formed part of Australian Underwriting Services, an OAMPS company and then 10 years at ACE ( now Chubb) as an underwriter and South East Asian Claims Manager for Accident & Health lines.
CHRIS OVERS
‍Company Secretary
Chris Over, Company Secretary of Our Ark Mutual

KEY MANAGEMENT TEAM

TANE MITCHELL
Account Director
EMA EKIC
Account Director

Thomas is the Head of Technical Accounting of Picnic, the Mutual Manager of Our Ark.

He leads the financial management and operations of Our Ark on behalf of the Board and the Members.

Prior to joining Picnic, Thomas was Head of Financial Planning & Analysis for Catholic Church Insurance (CCI).

Thomas was previously led the Deloitte IFRS 17 Centre of Excellence in Australia. IFRS 17 is a new international accounting standard that applies to all insurance and risk protection providers.

He has also held executive financial leadership positions in the UAE for Al Hilal Takaful (insurance) & Al Hilal Bank. Earlier in his career he worked with PwC in both India and the UAE.

Tane has more than 20 years' experience creating markets and building partnerships across Life insurance (Direct, Group & Retail), General Insurance, Superannuation (Industry Funds & Retail Platforms), data analytics and product benchmarking.

His career has spanned organisations including Adviser Ratings, Plan for Life Actuaries & Research, Equifax, CoreLogic, TAL Direct Insurance, Greenstone Financial Services, ING Direct Insurance and Care Super and others.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in building networks to drive growth from partnerships.

Tane works with Our Ark's trusted network of existing and new broker partners, as well as directly with new Members.

Ema is an experienced insurance broker with a rich history spanning over a decade in the commercial & corporate sectors.  

With a keen focus on developing meaningful relationships, Ema recognises the vital role brokers play in the industry.

Her extensive background has enabled her to develope a unique ability to bridge the gap between the brokers perspective and intricate needs of the client.

With a deep understanding of both sides of the equation, allowing her to excel in risk transfer solutions.

She shares her commitment to ethical conduct, transparency and delivering optimal results for clients & brokers.

THOMAS JOE
Head of Finance