Life and health insurance provider BSP Life has announced three senior leadership appointments.
The appointments are all internal promotions, which it said reflected the high calibre of talent within the institution.
Munendra Naidu – chief actuarial and data officer
In a landmark move for BSP Life and Fiji’s insurance industry, former chief financial officer Munendra Naidu has been appointed to a newly established position of Chief Actuarial and Data Officer.
Mr Naidu brings over two decades of actuarial, data analytics and finance experience in life and health insurance to the role.
He will lead a qualified Actuarial and Data Analytics team in steering strategic outcomes for BSP Life using advanced actuarial tools and expertise, collaborating with the company’s Appointed Actuary.
He will also support compliance with regulatory reporting using the vast experience gained in his leadership of the transition to the new and complex IFRS17 accounting standard.
Mr Naidu is the only local qualified Actuary in Fiji, obtaining his qualifications from the Institute of Actuaries in the United Kingdom and Macquarie University of Australia.
He started with BSP Life in the Actuarial department and moved into accounting and finance in 2012 when he was appointed CFO, a role he held for 12 years.
George Kotobalavu – general manager distribution and marketing
George Kotobalavu has been promoted to the role of general manager distribution & marketing, replacing Curtis Mar who recently retired.
Mr Kotobalavu will lead BSP Life’s distribution and marketing division overseeing sales, marketing, and product development, supporting the next evolution of growth in the business.
He has 27 years experience in sales and strategic management, and joined BSP Life in 2020.
Mr Kotobalavu holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s in Technology from the University of the South Pacific. He is a graduate of the Senior Leadership Program at the
Wonderful Academy (USA) and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Bhavin Marvadi — chief financial officer
Bhavin Marvadi is BSP Life’s new CFO succeeding Munendra Naidu.
Mr Bhavin began his career at PwC Fiji in 2012 before moving to British American Tobacco in 2016, where he held senior finance roles in Fiji and the Solomon Islands.
Mr Marvadi joined BSP Life as financial controller in 2020, and supported the successful implementation of IFRS17, the most significant change in insurance financial reporting in twenty years.
As CFO, Mr Marvadi will oversee the traditional Finance functions, consolidated enterprise reporting, together with procurement services and project management.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting & Information Systems from the University of the South Pacific.
BSP Life managing director Michael Nacola congratulated Mr Naidu on his new appointment, and Mr Kotobalavu and Mr Marvadi on their promotion.
“We have every confidence they will excel in their new roles contributing to our purpose of creating sustainable value for our policyholders and supporting national economic development,” Mr Nacola said.
“I am particularly proud that we continue to see internal talent progress into senior leadership roles, a testament of the effectiveness of our succession plans and the capability we have in Fiji.”
NOTE: This article was first published in the print edition of the Fiji Times dated MARCH 29, 2025.
