Nominations have opened for the annual Insurance Business Awards. Any individual or company in the local insurance industry is eligible to submit a nomination, either on their own behalf or for someone else. The closing date is November 22.
This year’s event in Sydney at the Hilton Hotel is an opportunity to celebrate what the industry’s firms are doing well – even as insurance challenges from rising premiums to natural catastrophes bear down, arguably more than ever before.
The evening involves a black-tie gala dinner, music and entertainment (main picture features 2024’s awards MC, Merrick Watts, left side, and Peter Furst from Emergence Insurance).
There are 20 awards categories targeting the work of brokers, underwriters, insurers, BDMs, authorised representatives (ARs), claims teams and insurtechs.
There are also accolades for young achievers, lifetime achievers, women of distinction, top CEOs and for excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion.
With all the challenges and pressure in the daily work of insurance professionals, many industry stakeholders agree that recognition from industry peers can help reinforce and encourage good work.
Sare Ozkara (pictured immediately below with Keith Roderick, Life Achievement winner for 2024), accepted last year’s Insurer of the Year prize for her firm, Vero Insurance.
“It’s amazing for the team and all the hard work that’s been put in over the year,” said Ozkara, Vero’s executive manager of broker partnerships. “So absolutely amazing to get that recognition from such an esteemed industry award.”
AAMC is the Event Partner. The motor accident management service provider is sponsoring two awards: Claims Team of the Year and, through its Land + Road offering,
the Philanthropy & Community Service (CSR) prize.
The CSR award recognises the organisation whose contribution of time, leadership and financial support over a sustained period of time has made a significant impact for a cause.
“It’s such a diverse industry,” said Daniel Lukich, AAMC’s sales and strategic relationship manager. “[And] it does a whole lot of good that maybe people don’t understand, in that the industry, including insurers, can actually provide funds to great initiatives, sponsorships and support for the community, so it does give back, so it’s good to be associated with it.”
When relatively few people in the wider community fully understand what the diverse stakeholders in the insurance industry actually do, the awards are also an opportunity to showcase the surprising variety of specialisations across the industry.
For example, Insurance Lab, a Melbourne-based broker with a focus on the engineering and construction sectors, won the Small Brokerage award at last year’s event.
“Specialisation is important,” said director Darren Pavic to Insurance Business. “Find something you’re really good at, focus on it, hone your skills and it pays dividends.”
The awards is very much a team event and also a chance to celebrate the role of colleagues in individual successes. Tony Dodd, leader of GT Insurance, won last year’s CEO of the Year award.
“Business is a team sport,” he told IB. “I’m really proud to lead the team that I lead and to be acknowledged is obviously very special.”
Before the big event in Sydney, the nominations are shortlisted by IB’s awards team to compile a list of the best candidates in each category. These Excellence Awardees will be announced online on Feb 3.
The submissions from these Excellence Awardees are forwarded to an independent judging panel who score each submission according to set criteria. IB’s judging panel consists of 24 senior industry professionals. These leaders represent insurance businesses, associations and peak bodies from across the industry.
Every effort is made to ensure their judgements are impartial, balanced and fair. Scores are aggregated to produce a single winner in each category. The winners will be announced on the big night on May 2.
Apart from Event Partner AAMC, Key Media would like to thank the Underwriting Agencies Council (UAC), sponsor of the Underwriting Agency of the Year Award. Thanks also to Australia Underwriting, sponsor of the Broker of the Year prize and Crawford & Company, the photobooth sponsor.
For more information and how to register, please visit the Insurance Business Australia Awards webpage.
