Asteron Life supports the work of the Gut Foundation with platinum sponsorship

16 January 2025

Asteron Life supports the work of the Gut Foundation with platinum sponsorship

Asteron Life New Zealand (Asteron Life) are excited to announce their platinum sponsorship of the Gut Foundation for 2025.

New Zealand has some of the highest global rates of bowel cancer in the world. The Gut Foundation is dedicated to improving the gut health of New Zealanders and Asteron Life has been a supporter of their mission since 2024. This year Asteron Life have extended that support further as platinum sponsor to provide funding to enable the Foundation to continue their vital research and education.

Asteron Life Executive Manager Life Portfolio and New Business, Claire Sutton, says over the last six months Asteron Life has been developing their relationship with the Gut Foundation, including hosting internal education sessions for staff, sponsoring a research intern and the Foundation’s gala dinner. Asteron also invited Gut Foundation CEO, Alice Fitzgerald, to attend as keynote speaker at three of the Asteron Life Roadshow adviser events during 2024.

Alice Fitzgerald

"The work that Alice and the Foundation has achieved is hugely impressive. The strength of the Gut Foundation Board, the commitment and expertise of the team and their collective dedication to the health of New Zealanders is inspiring. At Asteron Life, our brand purpose is to be ‘supporters for life’ for our customers, advisers and our people. The Gut Foundation’s vision and goals, clearly align with our mission in celebrating and supporting the lives of New Zealanders’, says Claire Sutton.

“Asteron Life is well-known for being trustworthy, caring, professional and expert in providing risk solutions and financial support in the event of a claim. Our partnership with the Gut Foundation provides a great opportunity for our team to proactively share knowledge with our advisers and customers that can help prevent many illnesses,’ says Grant Willis, Asteron Life Executive General Manager.

Part of Asteron Life’s platinum sponsorship includes the funding of two scholarships. The first is a co-branded 12-month masters scholarship with the Liggins Institute which leads New Zealand in microbiome research and pioneering preventative interventions for gut-related diseases. The second is a future health research scholarship at the University of Otago which will focus on advancing understanding in inflammatory bowel disease, as rates in New Zealand continue to climb. Funding these scholarships support the dual mandates of the Gut Foundation, for research and education, while also building depth of human resources in this space.

Gut Foundation CEO, Alice Fitzgerald is equally excited about Asteron Life’s platinum sponsorship and their contribution to the gut health of New Zealanders.

“We are incredibly grateful to Asteron Life for not only providing the essential funds to propel our work forward, but also for their deep commitment to our kaupapa of improving gut health for all New Zealanders. Together, we are making great strides in advancing gut health in New Zealand. As we say at the Gut Foundation, ‘Good sh*t!!’”, says Alice Fitzgerald.
 

For more information contact:
Lindsay Price 027 337 9980

About Asteron Life New Zealand

Asteron Life is a well-established and highly respected life insurer in New Zealand.

Asteron Life provides a range of life, trauma, income protection, total and permanent disability, and business cover to the New Zealand market. Its products are predominantly retail, sold through financial advisers as well as direct and group business.  Asteron Life recently won the Life Insurance Company of the Year award at the annual ANZIIF Insurance Industry, for the second year running. The company has won the title five times for its demonstrated high level of care for its customers, community and people.

About Gut Foundation NZ

Gut Foundation NZ is a charitable trust established to help improve the gut health of the people of New Zealand by promoting research and education of gut diseases and disorders.

Since its inception, the Trust has raised over one and a half million dollars for combating gut diseases, including funding large research programs, cutting-edge technology, and grassroots patient support groups. With the ongoing support of the community, Gut Foundation NZ can continue to educate for good Gut health, purchase equipment, and help researchers here work toward solving these Gut diseases.

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