Board of Directors

Helen Thornton

BEc, CA, GAICD CHAIR OF BOARD & INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Helen joined the Ansvar Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director in May 2018 and chaired the Audit and Risk and Compliance Committees from September 2018 to March 2024. She was appointed Chair of the Ansvar Australia Board in March 2024 and also Chair of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Helen is also a member of the Audit, Risk and Compliance, and Technology Committees.

With over 20 years as a Non-Executive Director, Helen currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Treasury Corporation of Victoria, and as a Director of McPhersons Ltd, Arena REIT and ISPT Pty Ltd. Helen has over 30 years of experience as a Chartered Accountant, having held senior roles at Deloitte, KPMG, BHP Ltd, and BlueScope Steel Ltd. Helen’s extensive experience spans finance, audit, governance and risk management.

Stephanie Jacinta Whyte

MC Inst. M, ACII, Charter Insurer NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Appointed to the Board in August 2013. Jacinta Whyte is the Deputy Group Chief Executive and Executive Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance Office Plc and the Benefact Group.

Jacinta joined Benefact Group in 2003 as the General Manager and Chief Agent for Canadian operations, successfully turning around its performance by building a high-performing team and a thriving specialist insurance business.

Jacinta oversees the Group’s general insurance operations across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Canada.

Her career began in 1974 as an underwriter with Sun Alliance in Dublin, and she transferred with the company to Canada in 1988. During her tenure at Royal Sun Alliance, she held several senior executive roles in Ireland and Canada.

Jacinta is a member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

David Lambert

BA (Hons)/LLB INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

David joined the Ansvar Board in July 2018. He is a seasoned executive, director, and commercial lawyer with extensive international experience. David has occupied senior roles in risk, strategy, and executive directorship at various organisations and law firms, including Blackmagic Design, Energy Australia, National Foods, Clifford Chance, Ashton Mining, and Bapcor Limited.

In 2023, David was appointed as Ansvar’s Senior Independent Director. He previously chaired the Strategic Review Committee and currently chairs the Audit Committee. David is a member of both the Risk and Compliance Committee and Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Richard Harding

BEc, MAICD INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Richard was appointed to the Ansvar Board in March 2024.

He currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of icare NSW, one of Australia’s largest property and casualty insurers.

With over 35 years of experience in the insurance sector across Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, Richard has spent 16 years as a CEO, leading significant organisational transformations that have resulted in long-term sustainability and value creation.

Richard is also a member of the Sargood Centre Board, a world-first resort designed specifically for individuals with spinal cord injuries, offering opportunities to rest, learn and connect.

Richard is a member of the Audit Committee, Risk and Compliance Committee, and Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Dr Elisabet Wreme

DBA, MSc, FAICD INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Elisabet was appointed to the Ansvar Board in February 2025.

She has extensive governance, finance, IT, and digital transformation expertise. With over a decade of experience as a Non-Executive Director, Elisabet is currently Chair of BreastScreen Victoria. She is a Non-Executive Director of Western Health and HAMBS (a software company supporting the private health insurance industry).

Elisabet chairs the Technology Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee, Risk and Compliance Committee, and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Nicholas Brierley

BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance, FCA NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nicholas was appointed to the Board on 2 February 2026. Nicholas has more than 20 years’ experience in strategy and finance within the general insurance sector across the United Kingdom, Australia and international markets. He is currently Group Strategy Director at Benefact Group, where he supports the Board and executive leadership in developing and delivering group strategy and oversees the strategic planning cycle.

Prior to this, Nicholas held senior roles at Benefact Group, including Group General Insurance Strategy Director and Group General Insurance Business and Operations Director. Earlier in his career, he was Head of Strategy, Planning and Reporting at Legal & General Insurance and held a range of senior strategy and finance roles at Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, including international secondments in Australia and Canada. Nicholas began his career at Grant Thornton UK LLP, where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant.

Nicholas is a member of the Technology Committee.

Jason Hammond

MBA, BBus, CPA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jason joined the Ansvar Australia Board as an Executive Director in March 2026.

With more than 20 years’ executive and board-level experience leading organisations across Australia and Asia, Jason is recognised for delivering sustained performance improvement through operating model redesigns that strengthen accountability and employee engagement. Most recently, he was Chief Executive Officer, Asia, at QBE, accountable for a multi-country business across five markets. He led a successful turnaround through a strategic refocus, delivering efficiency gains and improved service to brokers and customers. Jason’s extensive experience spans strategy execution, governance, operational transformation, and performance improvement.

Jason is a member of the Technology Committee.