Chief Counsel, Australia

Chief Counsel, Australia
Aon is currently recruiting a Chief Counsel to join our team in Australia. The role will lead our Australia based team of lawyers, supporting all Aon's businesses across its Risk Capital and Human Capital business units, spanning all the offerings of Aon to its clients.
The role will also collaborate closely with Aon's Australia Chief Compliance Officer and team to ensure Aon's business Is enabled to successful, compliant and balanced. The Chief Counsel will be encouraged to be an active Leader, fully involved in all work and collaborating with partners across Australia and regional colleagues and collaborators, where relevant, given the global nature of Aon's business.
Aon is in the business of better decisions.
At Aon, we shape decisions for the better to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world.
As an organization, we are united through trust as one inclusive, diverse team, and we are passionate about helping our colleagues and clients succeed.
What the day will look like
The Chief Counsel will be responsible for providing expert legal advice and guidance, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations as well as supervising all legal operations across Aon Australia.
Other key responsibilities, include:
- Provide quality commercial legal support and risk management guidance to the Australia business, ensuring compliance with all applicable corporate policies laws and regulations.
- Liaise with business leaders, subject matter experts and their local teams, collaborating with other peers within the department internationally, as applicable
- Over-arching responsibility for immediate team performance, with a pro-active approach to handling training and employee engagement
- Lead and support more junior members relevant domain expertise within the team ensuring they are guided and feel supported
- Develop, implement, and carry out policies and procedures to prevent and address illegal, unethical, or improper conduct
- Advising the business on the application of Aon's global and local policies and procedures.
- Partnering to providing regulatory and legal guidance to the business with the Compliance team
- Preparing and delivering training / updates on key legal topics to support effective risk management
- Developing and implementing processes to consistently analyse and mitigate legal risk whilst improving efficiency and consistency in contracting
- Build integral relationships with the leaders of the local business, being a trusted business partner supporting their growth strategies
- Develop and lead legal strategies and initiatives to ensure alignment of policies and processes across the business, while promoting a legally compliant culture
- Advise on regional corporate governance matters including board and committee structure, supervision, monitoring and decision-making authority for all the Aon Australia entities
- Proactively identify legal risks and issues within the business line and work with the business teams, especially the Australia operational team to assess and effectively handle the same
- As required, liaise and handle outside counsel on various matters to ratify legal advice to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations
- Partner with law department and business leadership to assist or lead projects related to process improvements, risk mitigation and legal policy development
- Collaborate at every opportunity with Aon colleagues across the firm to drive key business and functional initiatives and model Aon's core values and help deliver Aon's services in a aligned and united manner
- Part of Risk and Leadership Committee with active involvement in decision making related to strategic planning and execution of the function's goals and objectives
- Remain abreast of industry best practices and changing standards in relevant legislation and regulations, with the assistance of the legal services of the company and/or its advisors
- Lead the team to identify legal and regulatory risks and propose and implement solutions to mitigate risks, providing practical solutions based upon sound judgement and analysis to improve the business and control environment
- Report timely updates of key matters to Australia Leadership team and Global Chief Counsel, Aon Businesses.
How will this role be different?
Aon exists to shape decisions for the better, to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
Our culture enables us to bring our best each day and do great work for our clients. The advice and solutions our colleagues provide give our clients the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business. And when businesses thrive, communities and people flourish.
Skills and experience that will lead to success
- Relevant Australia legal and regulatory experience providing effective commercial legal support within financial services, with a working knowledge of the broking, funds industry and market practises
- Ability to exercise the highest ethical standards and prudent, risk-based business decision making
- Ability to understand sophisticated legal requirements and create effective solutions
- Demonstrated ability to lead and implement across a range of business areas and functions with differing issues, interests and risks
- Experience navigating governance and regulatory issues financial services firms encounter, and working closely with international, federal or state regulators or enforcement agency is a plus
- Experience leading a large team of legal professionals at a global company of scale
- Ability to communicate and influence across Aon, locally and internationally
- High personal responsibility in delivering sustainable outcomes
- Australian qualified lawyer with current practicing certificate
- Qualities such as integrity, professionalism, leadership, judgment, initiative, follow-through, strong work ethic, reliability, strategic thinking, ability to execute flawlessly, ability to work independently, relationship skills and respect for others
- Knowledge of legislative framework and regulatory regime that applies to the insurance and financial services industry
- Confidence in decision-making and the ability to make good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, experience and judgment
- Comfort with a high degree of responsibility and motivation to proactively lead project work while relying on resources outside of direct reporting relationships
How we support our colleagues
In addition to our comprehensive benefits package, we encourage a diverse workforce. Plus, our agile, inclusive environment allows you to manage your wellbeing and work/life balance, ensuring you can be your best self at Aon. Furthermore, all colleagues enjoy two "Global Wellbeing Days" each year, encouraging you to take time to focus on yourself. We offer a variety of working style solutions, but we also recognize that flexibility goes beyond just the place of work ... and we are all for it. We call this Smart Working!
Our continuous learning culture inspires and equips you to learn, share and grow, helping you achieve your fullest potential. As a result, at Aon, you are more connected, more relevant, and more valued.
Aon values an innovative, diverse workplace where all colleagues feel empowered to be their authentic selves. Aon is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
We provide individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law. Please contact us to request an accommodation on ReasonableAdjustments@Aon.com
#LI-AB6
2538136 Chief Counsel, Australia
Aon is currently recruiting a Chief Counsel to join our team in Australia. The role will lead our Australia based team of lawyers, supporting all Aon's businesses across its Risk Capital and Human Capital business units, spanning all the offerings of Aon to its clients.
The role will also collaborate closely with Aon's Australia Chief Compliance Officer and team to ensure Aon's business Is enabled to successful, compliant and balanced. The Chief Counsel will be encouraged to be an active Leader, fully involved in all work and collaborating with partners across Australia and regional colleagues and collaborators, where relevant, given the global nature of Aon's business.
Aon is in the business of better decisions.
At Aon, we shape decisions for the better to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world.
As an organization, we are united through trust as one inclusive, diverse team, and we are passionate about helping our colleagues and clients succeed.
What the day will look like
The Chief Counsel will be responsible for providing expert legal advice and guidance, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations as well as supervising all legal operations across Aon Australia.
Other key responsibilities, include:
- Provide quality commercial legal support and risk management guidance to the Australia business, ensuring compliance with all applicable corporate policies laws and regulations.
- Liaise with business leaders, subject matter experts and their local teams, collaborating with other peers within the department internationally, as applicable
- Over-arching responsibility for immediate team performance, with a pro-active approach to handling training and employee engagement
- Lead and support more junior members relevant domain expertise within the team ensuring they are guided and feel supported
- Develop, implement, and carry out policies and procedures to prevent and address illegal, unethical, or improper conduct
- Advising the business on the application of Aon's global and local policies and procedures.
- Partnering to providing regulatory and legal guidance to the business with the Compliance team
- Preparing and delivering training / updates on key legal topics to support effective risk management
- Developing and implementing processes to consistently analyse and mitigate legal risk whilst improving efficiency and consistency in contracting
- Build integral relationships with the leaders of the local business, being a trusted business partner supporting their growth strategies
- Develop and lead legal strategies and initiatives to ensure alignment of policies and processes across the business, while promoting a legally compliant culture
- Advise on regional corporate governance matters including board and committee structure, supervision, monitoring and decision-making authority for all the Aon Australia entities
- Proactively identify legal risks and issues within the business line and work with the business teams, especially the Australia operational team to assess and effectively handle the same
- As required, liaise and handle outside counsel on various matters to ratify legal advice to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations
- Partner with law department and business leadership to assist or lead projects related to process improvements, risk mitigation and legal policy development
- Collaborate at every opportunity with Aon colleagues across the firm to drive key business and functional initiatives and model Aon's core values and help deliver Aon's services in a aligned and united manner
- Part of Risk and Leadership Committee with active involvement in decision making related to strategic planning and execution of the function's goals and objectives
- Remain abreast of industry best practices and changing standards in relevant legislation and regulations, with the assistance of the legal services of the company and/or its advisors
- Lead the team to identify legal and regulatory risks and propose and implement solutions to mitigate risks, providing practical solutions based upon sound judgement and analysis to improve the business and control environment
- Report timely updates of key matters to Australia Leadership team and Global Chief Counsel, Aon Businesses.
How will this role be different?
Aon exists to shape decisions for the better, to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
Our culture enables us to bring our best each day and do great work for our clients. The advice and solutions our colleagues provide give our clients the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business. And when businesses thrive, communities and people flourish.
Skills and experience that will lead to success
- Relevant Australia legal and regulatory experience providing effective commercial legal support within financial services, with a working knowledge of the broking, funds industry and market practises
- Ability to exercise the highest ethical standards and prudent, risk-based business decision making
- Ability to understand sophisticated legal requirements and create effective solutions
- Demonstrated ability to lead and implement across a range of business areas and functions with differing issues, interests and risks
- Experience navigating governance and regulatory issues financial services firms encounter, and working closely with international, federal or state regulators or enforcement agency is a plus
- Experience leading a large team of legal professionals at a global company of scale
- Ability to communicate and influence across Aon, locally and internationally
- High personal responsibility in delivering sustainable outcomes
- Australian qualified lawyer with current practicing certificate
- Qualities such as integrity, professionalism, leadership, judgment, initiative, follow-through, strong work ethic, reliability, strategic thinking, ability to execute flawlessly, ability to work independently, relationship skills and respect for others
- Knowledge of legislative framework and regulatory regime that applies to the insurance and financial services industry
- Confidence in decision-making and the ability to make good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, experience and judgment
- Comfort with a high degree of responsibility and motivation to proactively lead project work while relying on resources outside of direct reporting relationships
How we support our colleagues
In addition to our comprehensive benefits package, we encourage a diverse workforce. Plus, our agile, inclusive environment allows you to manage your wellbeing and work/life balance, ensuring you can be your best self at Aon. Furthermore, all colleagues enjoy two "Global Wellbeing Days" each year, encouraging you to take time to focus on yourself. We offer a variety of working style solutions, but we also recognize that flexibility goes beyond just the place of work ... and we are all for it. We call this Smart Working!
Our continuous learning culture inspires and equips you to learn, share and grow, helping you achieve your fullest potential. As a result, at Aon, you are more connected, more relevant, and more valued.
Aon values an innovative, diverse workplace where all colleagues feel empowered to be their authentic selves. Aon is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
We provide individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law. Please contact us to request an accommodation on ReasonableAdjustments@Aon.com
#LI-AB6