Sharon Brown
Harbour Underwriting

Sharon Brown brings a boundless energy to her work. “I’m bowled over by her knowledge, enthusiasm and warmth, and by the fact that her confidence in me is probably greater than mine in myself,” says Elly Barry, an underwriting assistant at Harbour Underwriting. “She has such infectious energy and humour that working long hours with her is actually fun,” adds Nameeta Biswas, chief compliance counsel at Harbour Solutions Group.

For Brown, it’s all about creating an atmosphere in which all members of her team can thrive. “Your enthusiasm and relentlessness and zest make everybody else feel like that … if you exude an energy, then that helps the workforce,” she says. “The goal is to make everybody as confident as possible in the workplace, to be able to question things.”

After returning to the insurance industry in 2011, Brown joined QLCC, a small ATE liti­gation insurance underwriting agency, in September 2019. Within months, she had rebranded the agency as Harbour Underwriting and implemented new business processes and procedures, consolidated an elite team, formulated a new strategy, diversified the product range, and revamped distribution. Her efforts have paid off – over the past 12 months, Harbour Underwriting has seen a 256% increase in gross revenue and a 441% jump in net income.

During her career, Brown says she’s seen a major shift in the industry, particularly in women’s roles. She advises the next generation of female insurance professionals to “feel the fear but do it anyway. You can do it.”