In little more than a week from now, one of the biggest events in Australian insurance – the Insurance Business Australia Awards – is set to take place.
On October 22, the hard work of the best and brightest in our industry will be officially recognised at the much-anticipated awards show. In line with the innovative spirit of the night, the awards will be preceded by a series of virtual panels featuring awards finalists discussing their strategies for success.
Elliot Hill of QBE Australia Pacific – sponsor of the Brokerage of the Year (>20 Staff) Award and panel – told Insurance Business Australia that “building a positive culture is vital to the success of any company,” particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think about culture in a number of ways, whether that be the way we engage with our employees, or how we interact with clients, customers, or other stakeholders such as regulators,” he said. “What kind of culture you drive in an organisation needs to be fit for purpose for all the individuals or companies that you engage with and aligned with the values you all share.”
At QBE we have some core values that we live by and that are embedded in our day to day communications and ways of working. This establishes who we are and what we’re like to deal with, which helps us to build stronger partnerships with our brokers and customers, because they can see how our values align with their own.”
For Wenona Kimber (pictured above) of AXA XL – which is sponsoring the International Young Gun of the Year Award and panel – this emphasis on maintaining a strong culture is something that young brokers should consider regarding client relationships during COVID-19.
“Something that we can do when interacting with clients is to engage them in exciting events that can be conducted remotely,” Kimber noted. “This could be any number of things, from virtual workouts to home cooking classes, and can help to keep these relationships fun and interesting.”
“One of the silver linings to COVID-19 is that it’s allowed us a glimpse into other people’s home lives and, as a result, has sometimes helped to create deeper connections with clients,” she added. “Moving forward, young brokers should consider how they can maintain the connections that have been established during these times, and move away from dry, impersonal interactions with clients.”
