The International Federation of Health Plans is pleased to announce the appointment of David Koczkar, Chief Executive Officer of Medibank (Australia), as its new Chair.

David succeeds Bernard Lord, who has served as Chair of iFHP for the past five years. During his tenure, Bernard has provided outstanding leadership, helping to strengthen the Federation’s global community and advance its mission of improving health systems through international collaboration.

The Federation is also pleased to announce the appointment of Charlotte Mbewu, Principal Officer of Discovery Health Medical Scheme (South Africa), as Deputy Chair. Charlotte joins Robert Otto, Executive Board Member of Achmea (Netherlands), who continues in his role as Deputy Chair.

Christopher Watney, CEO of iFHP, said:

“On behalf of iFHP, I would like to express my sincere thanks to Bernard for his outstanding support and leadership over the past five years. His guidance, commitment and unwavering belief in the value of international collaboration have been invaluable to the Federation.

I am delighted to welcome David as our new Chair and Charlotte as Deputy Chair, and to continue working alongside Robert Otto in his role as Deputy Chair. Together they bring exceptional leadership, deep expertise and a truly global perspective that will help guide the Federation as we implement our new strategy and deliver greater value for our members through to 2030 and beyond.”

The appointments come at an exciting time for iFHP as the Federation embarks on the next phase of its strategic development, strengthening its role as the global network for health plans and a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and health system transformation.

iFHP extends its heartfelt thanks to Bernard Lord for his exceptional contribution and looks forward to working with David, Charlotte and Robert as the Federation enters this next chapter.