Stephen Hamill, managing director of Comsure Insurance Brokers, talks about art college, how 10 years of study paid off, and the single word that turned out to be the best advice he has ever given.
Why insurance?
I wanted to be a commercial photographer, but when I went to art college to go for the interview it was in the middle of schoolies and I was a little “untidy” so I didn’t get in, I then asked my old man for a job in the mail room and I got a start.
How would you sum up insurance brokers in three words?
Adaptable, flexible, knowledgeable.
How would you change the industry?
Abolish tax on policies and direct market insurers.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Listen.
What’s the most important thing a broker can do to develop their business?
Invest in framework and staff, and the reward will be organic growth from client satisfaction
What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry today?
Trying to adapt to a changing clients risk profile when the market products are not adapting as fast.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever arranged cover for?
A Uranium yellowcake processing facility.
What has been the highlight of your career?
Becoming a Certified Practicing Risk Manager in 2005, it was the hardest thing to go through and was about 10 years study and assessment by industry peers, but well worth it.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Brett Whitely, the artist, because I have admired his work for years and would just love to have a draw with him, he died too young; the unknown soldier because I think it would be great to know who he was and what happened, Ernest Hemmingway because I think his writing is outstanding and anyone who could play up like he did would be worth having a party with.
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in insurance, I would be…an artist.
