Why did you get into insurance/ reinsurance?
I didn’t know what reinsurance was, so it was by accident. But I’d had enough of construction and engineering.
How would you sum up insurance brokers in three words?
Price focussed and driven (is that 2 or 3?)
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever arranged cover for?
Contract Works and Advanced Profits with deductibles of $50m and $90m (plus 60 days) respectively.
How would you change the industry?
At the bottom end seek greater commitment to financial literacy of the young, at the top end, seek stronger alignment of interests along the chain.
What’s the most important thing a broker can do to develop their business?
Understand the true particulars of each of their Insured’s businesses.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Never guess. Say you don’t know, and find out (that was in consulting engineering, but I don’t see that insurance/reinsurance is any different).
If you were Prime Minister for one day, what would you do?
Remove knighthoods. If the endeavour was worth doing, what more do you need?
What has been the highlight of your career?
Working with such great people and having a few laughs along the way.
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
Long Black.
Union, league, soccer or other?
I like most sports but have been involved in hockey the most – so few parents living their failed sporting aspirations through their children.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Nelson Mandela (what’s beneath the forgiveness and serenity?)
Warren Buffett (why keep working?)
Robin Williams (for a laugh or two)
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in insurance, I would be…
Glad I got that offer I couldn’t refuse (ps. I’m still waiting) or retraining for engineering – it can be tremendously rewarding and some of the things I thought would never change, have changed.
