The school of life (insurance)
A conversation recently had in the Business Chicks office recently saw one team member ask the group, how many had life insurance. The answers surprised everyone around the table.
Isn’t life insurance for old people? I don’t really need it or it’s too expensive were echoed around the room, to which they were quickly proven very wrong. Those (smart) women around the table who had life insurance schooled the others by asking a few simple questions ...
Do you have a mortgage?
Are you aged 16-69?
Are you thinking of having a baby?
Do you have credit card debt?
Love travelling?
Those without a policy began to feel a little sheepish at this point. Chances are life insurance has been on your to-do list, too, but we know it's easy for the really important things to fall to the wayside.
So, we thought we’d go to the experts in the life insurance space, NobleOak, and hear from a woman who occupies an impressive seat at the table. Say hello to NobleOak’s Head of Growth Management, Tatyana Marfenko!
We had a quick chat about her career in life insurance, what she loves about it, and how women can safeguard all their hard work should the unimaginable happen.
Can you tell us a little about your career journey up to this point?
At 16 years of age, I came to Australia by myself from the Republic of Kazakhstan to pursue my dream of getting the best education possible. At that time, I spoke very little English beyond a traveller’s vocabulary, but I was determined to succeed and by the following year I would pass the necessary exams and be eligible to apply for a Bachelor of Accounting and Business Law at the University of New South Wales. I was beyond excited as I was taking the first steps toward a life and career I had always dreamed about.
I began working in retail and hospitality which saw me through my university years. Upon graduation, I was welcomed into the Moneypenny accounting team working in the screen industry, which gave me a wide skillset that I still cherish today. After a couple of years, I had an opportunity to move to the UAE and it was a truly phenomenal experience working in Dubai for Omniyat, one of the most visionary real-estate developers in the Gulf Region. There I had an opportunity to step into a finance & marketing role, which allowed me to work on fantastic projects and my passion for marketing blossomed from there.
When the GFC struck I was grateful to come back to Sydney and step into a marketing partnerships role at Link Market Services. Fast-forward a few years, I joined NobleOak almost 8 years ago now. It was surprising to work in the Life Insurance industry and it’s been a very rewarding career experience to date growing from a marketing specialist to being part of the Senior Leadership Team of a publicly listed company.
My partner and I welcomed our first child into the family in 2021 and it has been a new and exciting chapter for us. I have been navigating the challenges of trying to balance the role of being both a mum as well as progressing with my career aspirations. Having a career and being a mum can have their ups and downs, however, I have proved to myself it is possible to succeed at both.
Working in life insurance may not be the top pick when someone asks what the coolest jobs out there are. What is it you love about working in life insurance?
Here at NobleOak we always put our clients first, and we always offer genuine value. We're here to protect Australians with better cover by making Life Insurance accessible and affordable. The reward is in knowing that your job done well contributes to a truly noble purpose of helping families when they need it most. Throughout the years at NobleOak, I have seen how important financial support is for families when a loved one passes away. We receive many heartfelt testimonials, and it makes everything worthwhile as we are helping people in some of their worst times.
How can women really safeguard their careers with life insurance?
As women progress in their careers, it is important to keep themselves and their families financially protected throughout this period and beyond in case, the worst was to happen. For women who are the main or sole financial providers for their families, this is even more so important. Life insurance can give you and your loved ones choices when you need them most, to protect the life you've worked hard to create. Life is full of twists and turns, who knows when they might not be able to work anymore because of a medical condition, and might need some financial assistance?
There are many reasons why a person might not be able to work anymore. A severe injury or illness comes to mind. In those situations, it can be increasingly difficult to support yourself and your family. That is without factoring in medical costs or rehab expenses. Income protection insurance pays part of your lost income if you're unable to work because of a disability caused by illness or injury. It can help pay the bills so you can focus on getting better.
Want to know a little more about NobleOak? I’m glad you asked!
As one of Australia's independent life insurers with a 145-year heritage, NobleOak is the most awarded Direct Life Insurer of 2021^ with a rating of 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Feefo~ - that’s higher than the last cleanser you bought off Mecca!
NobleOak is also real generous and is offering Business Chicks members a 10% lifetime discount on Life cover* for the life of your policy just by completing a quote here.
Now there’s really no excuse to keep pushing this task on your to-list away any longer!
Proudly in Partnership with
T&CsImportant information – The Target Market Determination for NobleOak’s Premium Life Direct insurance is available on our website
www.nobleoak.com.au/target-market-determination
*Discount – Business Chicks members are entitled to a 10% discount (which remains for the life of the cover) on NobleOak's standard premium rates for its term life cover (not in conjunction with a discount from any other program).^NobleOak awards please
~ Feefo rating based on 149 service ratings over the past year (as at 12 September 2022).Legal statements. Premium Life Direct is issued by NobleOak Life Limited ABN 85 087 648 708 AFSL No. 247302. Address: 66 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000. Phone: 1300 108 490. Email:
Cover is available to Australian residents and is subject to acceptance of the application and the terms and conditions set out in the Premium Life Direct
Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
This information is of a general nature only and does not take into consideration your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Before you purchase an insurance product you should carefully consider the PDS to decide if it is right for you. The PDS is available by calling NobleOak on 1300 108 490 or from
Clients should not cancel any existing Life Insurance policy until they have been informed in writing that their replacement cover is in place. NobleOak cannot provide you with personal advice but our staff may provide general information about NobleOak Life insurance. Please note any online quotes are indicative only so please contact NobleOak on 1300 108 490 to apply for cover and to verify your actual premium, which will take into account your age, occupation, sum insured, health and pastimes. By supplying your contact details, you are consenting to be contacted by NobleOak, in accordance with NobleOak's