AHI : Everything you need to know

Headquarters address: Level 4, 33 York Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia
Year established: 1998
Number of employees: About 60
Clients served: More than 1 million Australians in over 200 countries
Claims paid: More than $400 million
Underwriting expertise: Accident and health insurance
Key people: Danny Byrnes (CEO)

About AHI
Accident & Health International Underwriting Pty Ltd (AHI) is a specialist underwriting agency that focuses on providing accident, medical, and travel insurance. It has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

AHI was founded in 1998 and has repeatedly been recognised by the National Insurance Brokers Association as the best travel, personal accident and disability underwriter in Australia. Insurance Business awarded AHI as Accident and Health Underwriting Agency of the Year for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. It covers over one million Australians in over 200 countries, with its in-house claims team and strategic partners having paid out over $400 million in claims.

The company’s product line-up includes corporate travel insurance, directors’ personal accident & sickness insurance, expatriate medical cover, group and individual personal accident & sickness insurance. It also provides cover for inbound medical expenses, leisure travel, voluntary workers, and kidnap & ransom.

According to AHI, its national footprint gives it the agility and flexibility to make the right decisions fast.

In 2019, AHI was acquired by Tokio Marine, through its Tokio Marine Management Australasia (TMMA) arm. The acquisition was part of the Japan-based Tokio Marine Group’s bid to expand its operations in Oceania. Prior to that, AHI had been owned by Insurance Australia Group (IAG) since 2010.

Accident & Health International in the news
1998: AHI opens first office in Sydney
2002: Opens Melbourne office
2015: CGU and Accident and Health International (AHI) refund customers more than $2 million
2016: AHI launches ‘online hospital’
2016: AHI tops Insurance Business Brokers on Underwriting Agencies survey in A&H category
2017: CEO Peter Banks resigns
2017: Danny Byrnes named new CEO
2018: AHI places first in Insurance Business Brokers on Underwriting Agencies (A&H category) for fourth straight year
2019: Tokio Marine acquires AHI
2020: AHI promotes two leaders
2020: COO on how AHI has adapted amid the COVID-19 pandemic
2021: AHI appoints new executive general manager
2022: AHI added another Insurance Business Brokers on Underwriting Agencies gold to its now seven-year winning streak

Key people

Danny Byrnes, CEO
Byrnes joined AHI as chief executive in 2017 from former parent company IAG, where he held several senior management and underwriting roles. He has close to 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and has a graduate certificate in insurance and risk management and a Master of Business Administration from Deakin University. He is a fellow of ANZIIF.

Culture
AHI is heavily involved in corporate social responsibility. According to the company, as part of its broader corporate social responsibility activities, it encourages its team members to actively live and engage in its values at work and within the community. This includes providing a safe, inclusive and inspiring working environment for all its employees. It also involves seeking out opportunities to work with other organisations that share its values and aspirations.

According to AHI, its four values consist of being: customer-driven, caring, responsive, and inspired.

AHI is partnered with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which helps support seriously ill children and their families. According to Starlight, it applies positive psychology principles to replace the pain and trauma of illness and treatment, and help children have fun again. In 2018, AHI donated $10,000 to the cause.