Rising star praises brokerage bosses

An award-winning young broker has praised her bosses for their constant support and encouragement, saying her success would be impossible without them.

Jessica Dametto (pictured), an account broker with Webber Insurance Services, is a veritable rising star of the insurance world, having won multiple accolades since entering the industry in 2016.

Not only was she included in the 2018 Insurance Business Young Guns list, but Dametto is also a finalist for the Young Gun of the Year category at this year’s Insurance Business Awards.

The Adelaide-based up-and-comer also picked up the prestigious Outstanding Broker of the Year Award at this year’s Steadfast Convention after she achieved the highest average score within the broker group for the ANZIIF Diploma of Insurance Broking.

While much of that success is obviously down to Dametto’s own hard work and determination, she is quick to acknowledge the invaluable input from her current employers.

“It has a lot to do with the company that I work with – I’m very aware that if I started in a larger organisation with hundreds or thousands of employees, it would have been different,” says Dametto. “I started as an admin assistant three years ago, but they quickly saw that I had an interest in the industry and started pushing me to do other things and it just naturally flew from there.”

After eight months as an admin assistant, Dametto was moved into a broker assistant role before stepping into an account broker position, with her own book of clients.

“Webber pushed me to do my studying and they were straight on it, wanting me to do my Tier Two so I could start speaking to clients,” she tells Insurance Business.

“The director, Daniel Webber, has really been an overarching mentor for me during my entire career and if I’m ever unsure of something, it’s an easy place to ask questions,” she continues.

“Nobody ever looks at you funny or makes you feel silly for not knowing something, it’s just a really comfortable environment, they’re really supportive and they’ve really nurtured my growth.”

While Dametto is carving a name for herself as one of Australia’s most promising young insurance professionals, she says she has no intention to move elsewhere for the foreseeable future as Webber’s investment in her has instilled a strong sense of loyalty.

“I’m extremely happy in my role and I’ve got that constant opportunity and room to grow as well,” she says. “I have a really good repertoire with my clients, I work within an incredibly supportive team – it’s just an all-round great position for my point in life.”