Exclusive: RIMS Australasia shakes up its board

The Australasian arm of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) has a new president and two new board members, StrategicRISK can reveal.

Lendlease group head of risk and insurance Kevin Bates (pictured) has taken over the top job at RIMS Australasia, replacing Brad Tymmons.

Tymmons was the former enterprise risk and control leader at EnergyAustralia and has stepped aside from RIMS owing to taking up a new role at an insurance broker. He had been president of the association for the past 18 months.

On taking up the role, Bates said: “I’m incredibly flattered and very proud to be sitting in the chair as the new president of RIMS Australasia but I’m deeply saddened to see someone of the caliber of Brad to be leaving.

“I’d like to thank him enormously and I hope to continue his good work.

“Brad has rekindled the [RIMS Australasia] profile. He has ensured a growth in membership and a growth in commitment from our foundation sponsors, and has been instrumental in setting us up for success as an organisation going forward.”

Two new risk professionals have also been elected to the RIMS Australasia board.

StrategicRISK understands them to be Alicia Genet, group risk and audit manager at Santos, based in Adelaide, South Australia; and Kerry Bakkerus, risk and privacy manager at Counties Manukau Health, based in Auckland, New Zealand.

The other remaining members of the RIMS Australasia board are:

• Goodman group head of insurance Cathy Murray;
• former Scentre group chief risk officer Eammon Cunningham;
• Vector chief risk officer Kate Beddoe (deputy);
• Orica group manager risk and insurance Peter Sterry; and
• Wesfarmers group risk manager John Evans.

The first event of the newly formed RIMS Australasia board will be a pub quiz night in Sydney on 17 August.

The association’s annual Australasian conference will be held in Melbourne on 22-23 August.

More to follow in the StrategicRISK Australia edition, out next month.