Experience

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  Envest

  • Australia

  • Director

    • Feb 2021 - Present
    • Australia

    Serving as a Non-Executive Director of The Envest Group (formerly Ardonagh Australia) with a focus on acquisitions, business advisory and strategy.The Envest Group are one of Australia’s largest independent insurance distribution groups, including two national insurance broker networks operating under the Aviso and Resilium brands, three direct-to-consumer insurance brands and thirteen intermediated underwriting agencies employing over 700 people.The Ardonagh Group is the UK’s largest independent insurance broker with global reach. Ardonagh is a network of over 250 office locations and a workforce of over 11,000 people. Formed in 2017 and following a series of acquisitions in 2018, Ardonagh today brings together best-in-class brands including Autonet, Bishopsgate, Carole Nash, Geo Underwriting, Price Forbes, Swinton, Towergate and URIS. The Resilium Group was a foundation partner in Australia.Successful negotiation and completion of multiple acquisitions of general insurance businesses with the focus being on a confidential, transparent and fair transaction for both seller and purchaser.Continued provision of strategic and operational input as a member of the Envest Group Risk & Compliance Committee.

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  Tidemark Consulting

  • Australia

  • Strategic Advisor

    • Feb 2023 - Present
    • Australia

    Tidemark Consulting provides advice to Financial Services companies and executives from growth and acquisition strategies through to organisational transformation. Utilising skills developed over 30 years as a director and senior executive in general insurance broking and insurance companies to work with businesses to turbo-charge their growth whether through acquisition or providing them with advice around improving operational and sales performance.Experience has been developed through the successful execution of a range of executive roles, from growth focussed senior leadership positions to successfully designing and implementing staged strategic planning to enable long term sustainable growth for companies.Where business owners are considering retirement, advice is provided on options and strategy regarding succession planning and an eventual sale of their business.

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  Resilium

  • Sydney, Australia; Brisbane, Australia

  • Director (Managing Director 2015 - Feb 2021)

    • Aug 2015 - Present
    • Sydney, Australia; Brisbane, Australia

    Recruited as Managing Director with a mandate to grow the business whilst renewing the reputation of Resilium as an industry leading general insurance broking company. The strategic plan was in multiple parts including network and organic growth, driving compliance protocols and enforcement.After implementing governance and controls, I led the business through numerous acquisitions whilst facilitating the growth of Authorised Representative businesses.Having become one of the largest general insurance authorised representative Licensees, the Resilium Group became independent in 2019 through a management buyout that I was pleased to lead, strongly supported by my business partners. Our focus remains to grow the business whilst enhancing our professional reputation as the industry leading general insurance advisory company.✔ Successfully led a management buyout to operate Resilium independently.✔ Chair of the Resilium Risk & Compliance Committee.✔ Member of the Suncorp Group Diversity Council.✔ Redesigned the Resilium equity model, worked with multiple direct and matrix stakeholders, obtained Board consensus on the new model before implement the changes, resulting in an additional and significant new premium placement.✔ Designed and implemented a company-wide restructure introducing clarity of accountability aligned to growth and strategic initiatives. ✔ Negotiated with multiple stakeholders, internal and external, to deliver initiatives to align the contracted workforce with strategic goals.✔ Developed and implemented the key strategies for growth and sustainability within the business supported by the management team.✔ Committee member on various group sub-committees including major group-wide system simplification program representing business needs and product design as well as influencing flight plan timing.✔ Regular presenter to audiences ranging from the boardroom to national conferences.

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  Insurance Advisernet Australia and New Zealand

  • Australia and New Zealand

  • Managing Director (2012-August 2015); Director, (2009- June 2012); General Manager (2006-2009)

    • Jun 2006 - Aug 2015
    • Australia and New Zealand

    Appointed as Managing Director in 2012 after being elevated to the Board of Directors in 2009, following three years as General Manager, Operations averaging significant annual increases in turnover, income, and profitability across nine years - despite the impact of the global financial crisis and a highly competitive and mature market. ✔ Forged a market reputation for the company as being of the highest integrity with highly professional insurance practices.✔ Personally sourced and appointed numerous practices to operate under licence and approve all new practices with over 400 advisers working under license.✔ Identified risk through over reliance on a company as a major source of income. Wound back agreement in 12 months, steering change in the field, and reducing headcount.✔ Delivered greater uniformity to internal communications and training of sales staff to drive sales. ✔ Introduced and systemised sales reporting providing principal sales staff with comparison data that benchmarked personal performance against a similar group. ✔ Reviewed performance and risk profile of businesses operating under licence. Embarked on program of removing enterprises that undermined market reputation.✔ Created a properly formulated methodology for marketing that for the first time, measured output and forecast returns on investment. ✔ Led an IT-focused culture underpinned by data capture, communications and business intelligence software that presented management with macro and micro overviews of all business elements.✔ Instituted preferred service teams with specific underwriters that provided sales representatives with faster turnaround times and increased flexibility in pricing and risk acceptability. ✔ Presented before Board of Directors, auditorium-sized audiences and senior executives externally.

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  Miray Pty Ltd

  • Queensland, Australia

  • Managing Director

    • Apr 2004 - Jun 2006
    • Queensland, Australia

    Company: Yacht charter and sailing school business on the Great Barrier Reef. Presided over all business operations from marketing and promotions, to business development, contractual negotiations, financial management, strategy and more. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Transformed hobby business with a fleet of three older-style yachts, into a thriving and dynamic business with eight yachts, a cruiser, and sailing school that tripled revenues in just two years. Reinvested profits into quality enrichment initiatives that distinguished the operation in a crowded market and attracted external investment. ✔ Winner, 2005 North Queensland Tourism Award.✔ Director, Townsville Enterprise—a local economic development body representing tourism. Presided over a period where tourism rose from 2% to 6% of local GDP.

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  Liberty International Underwriters

  • Vice President, Claims / General Counsel Asia Pacific

    • 2000 - 2004

    Transformed a start-up into a thriving claims department, and continued to preside over claims across the entire Asia/Pacific region. As the 21st employee hired, the culture was flexible and fast moving as the business moved towards formal policies, procedures and standards. Travelled extensively across Asia, USA, UK and interstate—meeting with local legal firms and insurance professionals to acquire understanding of available opportunities, assess risk and provide recommendations. ✔ Sourced and hired a team of skilled claims professionals publicly recognised for excellence in the JP Morgan/Deloitte Annual Insurance review. Team quickly developed and sustained a stellar industry reputation. ✔Cut through government red tape, winning government sanction to establish claims and legal departments in the Singapore office.✔ Recovered doubtful debts following the collapse of a key business partner distributing the LIU product. Approached intermediary and negotiated deal to purchase business rights in return for continuing relationship.✔ Nurtured and sustained advantageous relationships with suppliers, external law firms, loss adjustment companies, reinsurers and reinsurance brokers and clients. ✔ Advised executive management on issues including risk of adverse media exposure and protection of company assets, as well as general legal and regulatory compliance.

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  GIO Commercial Insurance

  • Senior Legal Counsel

    • Jan 1998 - Mar 2001

    Provided strategic legal, business and general advice to the director and general managers on a range of issues from human resources and legislative reforms, through advertising, agreements and litigation. Headed projects of high visibility including responding to allegations of pricing collusion, misuse of market power and distribution channel conflicts during the AMP/GIO integration, steering the sale of Australia Pacific Professional Indemnity Insurance Limited to St Paul, and creating online legal training.

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  Aon Risk Solutions

  • General Counsel

    • Sep 1995 - Jan 1998

    Commenced with Minet Australia Ltd, an international insurance brokerage later acquired by Aon Risk Services. Key clients included James Hardie, State Transit Authority, Callide Coal.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Following the acquisition of Minet Australia, won the opportunity to establish a legal department for the entire group—encompassing retrenchments, redeployments and terminations throughout the settling in phase. As General Counsel, managed litigated and non-litigated E&O matters, advised management on legislative and employment issues as well as commercial agreements, and collaborated with broking staff on large client placements. ✔ Litigated enforcement of restraint in trade clauses for employment contracts in four jurisdictions.✔ Successfully passed KPMG audit following the implementation of ISO9001 quality systems. ✔ Influenced company culture by implementing employment contracts for the first time.✔ Collaborated with senior brokers in shaping and nurturing key account relationships with VIP clients including James Hardie, State Transit Authority and Callide Coal.

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  Bain Gasteen Smith

  • Solicitor

    • Jul 1992 - Mar 1995

    Consistently exceeded annual budget, contributed to the development of a criminal law practice and trained a junior Articled Law Clerk. Acquired hands-on experience across the firm including insurance litigation, banking and finance securities, all criminal law matters and in-court advocacy.