Why did you get into insurance?
Like most people I stumbled into it. I was on my OE in the UK, ran out of money and needed a job. Got a call from a recruitment agent about a job at
Zurich Professional and hey presto I was in insurance.
How would you sum up insurance brokers in three words?
Sales-orientated; Relationship-driven; Knowledgeable
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever arranged cover for?
When I was in Europe I was asked to write Professional Indemnity for the Spanish Army…. Needless to say I declined.
How would you change the industry?
As an industry I think we are still quite backward relative to other professional services industries. There are two things I would like to see improve: (1) we need to get better at harnessing technology; and (2) I also think that we collectively still have a way to go to increase professionalism within the industry.
What’s the most important thing brokers and insurers can do to improve their relationship?
Get better at listening to each other.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
There is no such thing as good luck; you make your own luck.
If you were Prime Minister for one day, what would you do?
As a very small country in a geographically remote location, for NZ to be sustainable and prosperous in the long term I believe that we need to be investing in knowledge-based service industries that are premised on exporting “services” to the rest of the world. I would make sure the government is doing its utmost to support and foster innovation and entrepreneurialism within Kiwi “service” businesses.
What has been the highlight of your career?
I have been very fortunate to have had some incredible career opportunities with a major highlight being responsible for
AIG’s European Region Professional Indemnity portfolio however this pales into insignificance against setting up my own business
Delta Insurance which has by far been the most challenging and rewarding experience to date.
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
Macchiato.
Union, league, soccer or other?
League
.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Jonathon Thurston (an extremely talented league player but also a genuine good bloke);
John Piggott (my grandfather who has passed away and who I had a special relationship with);
Captain Cook (I have a keen interest in history and it would be fascinating to hear about his exploits first hand).
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in insurance, I would be…
A farmer.
