$100k charity trip 'a career highlight'

The insurance industry is known for helping those in need and one specialist law firm continues to do their part to help communities in Kenya break the poverty cycle

Insurance News

By Jordan Lynn

Karen Jones, partner at insurance law firm Wotton + Kearney, talks about a recent charity trip to Kenya, pricing pressures and dinner with Jesus Christ.

Why insurance?   
It is such a large industry which offers so much diversity and the opportunity to learn something new every day. 

How would you change the industry? 
The industry is often not given the credit it deserves, which may be a matter of perception. Let’s start by giving people punchier job titles, such as “financial defence strategist” or “innovation risk adviser”.

What’s the most important thing a broker can do to develop their business?
Continuing to be the trusted broker of choice by keeping up to date with changes occurring in the industry whilst looking for emerging opportunities (too easy right?).

What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry today?
Pricing pressures due to the rise in technology innovation and current economic inertia.

What has been the highlight of your career?
Watching with pride as our firm and the industry came together to support our group of (mostly) ‘would-be’ runners on our 21 kilometre trek across the Maasai Mara, which raised over $100,000 for So They Can.      

Tell me more about your trip to Kenya, why were you over there and what did you do?
I was inspired by the work of So They Can and wanted to get involved. We spent several days with the children at the Aberdare Ranges Primary School, the Miti Mingi Village and at their homes and then had a working bee painting classrooms at the school. I saw first hand the great work that So They Can is doing to educate and inspire these children and their families and to break the poverty cycle.
      
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
Moccha – I’m a chocolate lover. What can I say? 

NRL, AFL, soccer or other?
Definitely other! Is karaoke a sport?  

If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Jesus Christ (obviously), Salvador Dali (because he would hopefully paint us and leave me the artwork) and Rick Stein (to cook us a spaghetti marinara feast).

Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in insurance, I would be…
Quite seriously, developing my creative side in musical theatre and event management.

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