Noelene Palmer to succeed Nigel Fitzgerald as Steadfast COO

Australian insurance broking and distribution group Steadfast has promoted Noelene Palmer to Chief Operating Officer (COO), as current COO Nigel Fitzgerald announces that he will step down on July 1st, 2025, to pursue a personal business venture.

Fitzgerald will remain in a senior advisory role until September 30th, 2025, to ensure a smooth handover. Additionally, he will retain a close association with Steadfast Group, including board positions for several Steadfast subsidiaries.

Palmer has almost 25 years of industry experience in Australia, London and Hong Kong, and has held senior leadership roles at IAG, TAL, Swiss Re and KPMG. Most recently, she was the COO for the Financial Crime and Fraud Prevention team at Westpac.

Robert Kelly AM, Founder, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Steadfast Group, commented, “Nigel has made a significant contribution to the business and has been instrumental in our success over the past two years.

“With his entrepreneurial mindset, he has done a tremendous job solidifying the foundations of our growth strategy, while improving our operational processes. I am fully supportive of Nigel as he embarks on his personal business venture and I’m pleased that he will remain within the Steadfast family.

“Noelene brings a breadth of experience in insurance over her career and is a highly valued member of the Executive Leadership Team. Since joining Steadfast in July 2024 as Executive General Manager of Operations, Noelene has played an instrumental role in ensuring the efficient resolutions of the strata matters, and simplified Steadfast’s processes to support the ongoing effectiveness of the organisation.”

Concurrently, Tim Mathieson has been promoted to CEO of Australasia Broking, Steadfast Group, effective May 1st, 2025. Mathieson has over 25 years of insurance industry experience, and has been with Steadfast for almost a decade, including the last five years as CEO of QIB Group, a Steadfast Group subsidiary.

Kelly said, “I am very pleased to have Tim return as a member of the Steadfast Group Executive team. He is an exceptional executive with significant expertise in general insurance broking and has built an impressive track record of delivery in his current role. I am highly confident that he will move at pace into his new role.

“These appointments will allow the Executive Leadership Team to focus on the disciplined strategic execution of our proven business model, pursue expansion opportunities, as well as develop market-leading products and services for the benefit of our broker network and their clients.

“I have restructured the Executive Leadership Team effective 1 July 2025, and I’m pleased to announce the following two key appointments who will report directly to me. Their internal promotion to these roles highlighting our bench strength of talent across the Steadfast Group.”

Kelly further added: “I reconfirm my commitment to not retire before 31 December 2026. It is my intention to continue until a successor has been appointed. Steadfast has a number of internal candidates that will be considered as my successor, and in due course the Steadfast Board will commence the process to review internal and external candidates.”

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