Why did you get into insurance?
Growing up, a friend of our family was an insurance broker – he always drove cool cars and seemed like he had a great job. So after university, I was trawling through various accounting jobs and came across an insurance broking job, which I took.
How would you sum up insurance brokers in three words?
When I was an insurance broker, the three words I would have used to describe my job were “mum doesn’t understand”.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever arranged cover for?
An Enzo Ferrari or a Hummer to drive between the wharf and the insured’s beach house.
How would you change the industry?
In order to prevent two brokers representing one insured I would remove the use of “authority to quote letters”. Companies should appoint a broker that best suits their requirements and then have that broker seek terms from the market.
What’s the most important thing a broker can do to develop their business?
Find a niche and don’t make price the primary focus.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
On your death bed you are not going to wish that you worked longer hours. However I am yet to apply that advice.
If you were Prime Minister for one day, what would you do?
Reverse Section 9 of the Law Reform Act 1936 then probably go fishing and leave the running of the country to my wife!
What has been the highlight of your career?
Working in Lloyd’s of London (pre-GFC) and heading up Financial Lines at
AIG in NZ.
What’s your favoured style of coffee?
The style where I don’t have to make it and it comes with bacon and eggs.
Union, league, soccer or other?
Of the options above, it would have to be watching my son’s 5-year-old rugby team, but my personal preference if playing sport would be water sports – boating, fishing, wake-boarding.
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive, and excluding family and friends, who would they be and why?
Why would I invite a dead person to dinner? Otherwise Jacques Cousteau (he is a legend), Arj Barker (for a laugh) and James Hunt (have you not seen the F1 movie
Rush?)
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in insurance, I would be…
Flying the Westpac Rescue helicopter.
