Sarah Thornely

Enigma
DISC Type : cid

Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Bupa Health Insurance at Bupa

Greater Sydney Area, Australia

Overview

Sarah Thornely is an experienced risk and compliance leader in the financial services and technology sectors, currently serving as the Chief Risk Officer for Bupa Health Insurance. A Chartered Accountant and graduate of the University of Wollongong, she previously held senior risk management roles at Commonwealth Bank.

She deeply values long-term personal connections, celebrating a nearly 30-year friendship with former colleagues from Coopers & Lybrand. This group has maintained a tradition of watching the AFL Grand Final together every year since 1995, highlighting her belief that people are what truly matter.

Sarah has a passion for Australian rules football, particularly the AFL Grand Final, which she has watched with the same friends for decades.

Personality Overview

Challenger

Fast Follower

Hard To Convince

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing  They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting proof as well as information. They are generally strong communicators and are not easy to convince.

Topics They Care About

Talent Development
Frequently posts about hiring, emphasizing her search for curious minds and professionals passionate about making a difference in healthcare.
Risk & Assurance
As a CRO, she champions the positive impact of timely assurance on business success and seeks professionals to support Bupa's prudential obligations.
Customer Purpose
Highlights the importance of working in a team focused on customer purpose and making a difference in the healthcare experience.

Media Appearances

Sarah has no verified media appearances

Work History

5-2023
Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Bupa Health Insurance at Bupa
5-2023 - 6-2023
Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Health Insurance at Bupa
3-2018 - 6-2023
Head of Technology Risk at Commonwealth Bank
5-2012 - 6-2023
Head of Operational Risk and Compliance at Commonwealth Bank
1-2010 - 5-2012
Head of Premium Member Services at Australian Administration Services

Education

1993 - 1995
Chartered Accountant from Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
1988 - 1991
Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) from University of Wollongong

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 34 Location : Greater Sydney Area, Australia Job Level : Leadership Designation : Chief Risk Officer (CRO), Bupa Health Insurance at Bupa
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Insights For Selling To Sarah

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Leverage 'negging', or the art of asking negative questions like "you must not be convinced yet..."
  • Let them lead the discussion, create opportunities for them to speak if they are not very forthcoming
  • Build rapport slwly without rushing, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Avoid long presentations and just 'high-level' value proposition, dive into the details
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal even if you come to form one
  • Don’t brush off any concerns, take all questions seriously. They are easily deterred

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Sarah is

  • Proven value, strong objective evidence are important for them, rapport can impact decisions a little.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Sarah

  • They are practical and friendly, but can give a clear response with a little prodding

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Sarah move?

  • They like to be detailed, so unless they develop strong conviction, they can take their time to arrive at decisions
  • Can Sarah take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and do not take risks that often, unless you can get them to develop strong conviction

You And Sarah

Personality Compatibility


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