Southern Cross Travel Insurance appoints Carole Tokody as CEO to support Australasian growth

Date: 11/12/2025 by Southern Cross Travel Insurance

 

  • Carole Tokody is an outstanding new appointment for the Australasian insurer
  • Significant industry experience will support organisational aims for growth for the award-winning travel insurer
  • Tokody’s appointment is effective February 2026

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) is delighted to confirm the appointment of Carole Tokody to the position of Chief Executive Officer. With significant global experience in health and insurance, Tokody is set to drive an ambitious strategy at an exciting time for SCTI.

Cassandra Crowley, Chair of SCTI says of the appointment, “We are looking forward to having Carole join us to lead our company on such an exciting trajectory. Over the last two years SCTI has been through significant change to set us up for growth, with Australia in particular presenting opportunities for our determined, innovative, and customer-centred business.

“Carole is an exceptional executive with second-to-none experience, insights and deep connections, which we know will bear fruit rapidly and successfully as we face into current opportunities. We have made no secret of the fact that we are making in-roads into Australia from our home across the Tasman. Her deep strategic nous and experience is exactly what we need to seize an advantage over our competitors.”

From her current role based in Queensland as Chief Commercial Officer for the famed Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section), to a number of CE and President roles for globally significant financial services businesses in the UK, Europe, and North America, Carole has led large teams toward success, involving transformation across operations, funding, customer engagement and service delivery. However, her unrivalled experience in the insurance sector and her focus on customer-centric growth, entrepreneurship, and product and partnership development will be critical to SCTI’s aims and ambitions.

Tokody said “I am so excited to take on this role. There is remarkable energy and appetite for growth among the SCTI team and that is hugely motivating and inspiring. I like nothing more than taking on a challenge, having worked in this space in a trans-Tasman capacity previously, I absolutely understand the drive to take on the bigger players, and do it better, delivering care, innovation and support to our valued customers and partners out of Australia and New Zealand.”

Crowley would also like to thank and acknowledge interim CEO Anita Hawthorne for her valued contribution in leading the SCTI team during the organisation’s CE search. “Anita dove into the organisation from day one just as we were implementing substantial system, product and partnership changes.  Anita has been a huge support to the team and has helped ensure company-wide buy in of SCTI’s strategic direction and implementation. We are already seeing the fruits of change.”

Tokody commences her role as CEO on February 2, 2026.

Appointments of note for Carole Tokody include: 

  • Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Queensland Section Chief Commercial Officer | 2021 – Present
  • Manulife, Toronto, Director, Strategic Initiatives & Business Development (Consultant) | 2019 – 2021
  • Crisis Cover Pty Ltd, Brisbane and London, Founder & Owner | 2020 – Present
  • Cover-More Group:
    • Chief Executive Officer – Global Direct & Fintech (London) | August 2017 – January 2020
    • President – US, Canada and Global Direct (London) | January 2016 – August 2017
    • Global Director, Global Sales & Distribution (Sydney) | October 2012 – January 2016

  • Allianz Global Assistance:

    • Chief Sales Officer APAC | July 2010 – October 2011
    • Director of Sales and eCommerce Australia & APAC | December 2008 – December 2010
    • General Manager eCommerce & Sales | July 2006 – December 2008