Hundreds of industry professionals gathered at Sydney’s Fullerton Hotel on Friday for the Insurance Business Australia Awards 2024. The evening’s fun involved celebrating the industry’s high achievers across 21 categories while enjoying a three-course dinner, music and live entertainment.
“It’s absolutely fabulous,” said Keith Roderick (pictured immediately below, right of picture, with Brendan Dunne from Allianz Australia, Employer of Choice award winner) to Insurance Business. Roderick won the Lifetime Achievement award, the night’s highest honour. The Victorian veteran is managing director of Roderick Insurance Brokers.
One novelty at the seventh annual awards were new categories, including this Lifetime award. Other newbies included Woman of Distinction (won by Claire Burke, CHU Underwriting Agencies) and CEO of the Year (won by Tony Dodd, GT Insurance).
Roderick’s insurance broking career spans six decades.
“I’m a very lucky person to have worked in the industry,” he told IB after receiving his accolade. “It’s a great industry.”
His insurance broking career started in 1964, he said, and he’s always worked in the same profession “and never looked anywhere else.”
Roderick said one benefit of working in insurance broking all his life is that he’s been able to surround himself with family who form the core of his brokerage.
“I’ve got all my family working with me, including some of my grandchildren,” said Roderick. “I’ve met many, many people over the years that have become good friends.”
He said he still works hard but makes sure he finds time to enjoy the races.
IB asked if he had any racing tips? He said he’s watching a horse called Euphoric in the 10,000 metres at Caulfield on Saturday. IB hasn’t yet checked the result.
Watts said it was a privilege to be the night’s MC.
“I had been booked to be a judge for the Victoria’s Secret lingerie awards,” he said. “Then my manager rang up and said, ‘Hold it! The Insurance Business Awards has called!’ And I said, ‘I think we know where I’ll be going on Friday night!’’
In his opening speech, Watts considered the significance of the insurance industry.
“It’s worth reflecting on the industry that we all, including me this evening, are a part of,” he said. “You play an unusually important role.”
Watts said businesses can’t operate without insurance and people can’t even drive their cars.
“More importantly, [they can’t] bash those cars with frozen oranges when there’s a hailstorm,” he said. “They also can’t buy new homes and then later torch them when their gambling debts get out of control.”
Delegates from across the industry, representing insurers, brokers, underwriters, claims management companies, loss adjusters and other firms all enjoyed the evening.
Some of those who really celebrated in style included Peter Furst from Emergence Insurance (main picture, on the right with champagne provided by sponsor Financial Education, and left, MC Merrick Watts). His firm was joint winners with CHU Underwriting Agencies of the Claims Team of the Year Award, sponsored by AAMC.
Other winners included McLardy McShane Insurance Brokers who took out the Australian Brokerage of the Year award (represented by Meg Long in picture immediately below with award presenter Tesh Patel from Delta Insurance).
During the event, the photo booth sponsored by Crawford proved to be very popular (photo immediately below).
After the awards ceremony was over many danced into the night courtesy of Party Band’s Atomic (photo immediately below).
Matthew Bates, was one of many delegates who enjoyed the evening.
It’s nice to see the awards going to great companies and great organizations that are well deserving of that and also recognizing the great industry talent we have,” said Bates, managing director of insurance for Bell Partners (an Excellence Awardee in three categories including the Australia Underwriting Broker of the Year – see a full list of Excellence Awardees here). “It is also great to see some additional awards on the card tonight for sure.
This year’s awards were sponsored by AAMC, QBE Q nect, Australia Underwriting and ShieldCover. The champagne was supported by Financial Education and the photobooth by Crawford.
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