INSURANCEBUSINESSONLINE.COM.AU ISSUE 2.2
Australia’s Top 30
insurance brokers
revealed for the first time
PUBLIC ENEMY
THE NEED FOR PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE
GET IN ON THE ACTION
HOW TO BREAK INTO THE RETAIL MARKET
STRATEGIC NETWORKING
YOUR BEST INSURANCE IN A CHANGING WORLD
SPECIAL REPORT / TOP 30 ELITE BROKERS
The nation’s top insurance brokers are front and centre
of the inaugural Insurance Business Elite Brokers ranking,
a new initiative that rewards and grades the top 30
leading brokers in the Australian insurance market
Australia’s
Australia’s
Elite
I
In a first for Australia, Insurance Business proudly presents the results of the Elite Brokers survey, an exciting new program that has been embraced by the broking community.Our inaugural Elite Brokers ranking attracted entries from all corners of the country as we sought to evaluate and rank the top 30 individual insurance brokers across the nation. So exactly how was each applicant assessed?
METHODOLOGY
The Insurance Business Elite Broker ranking system is a comprehensive and independent means of ranking the best-performing insurance brokers in the country. Due to the advanced and detailed information needed, each broker was required to supply their own details to
Insurance Business to be eligible.
In order to rank performance, however, we were not simply inviting applications from the most advanced and senior executives working at high-profile, well-resourced brokerages. We were also aiming to reward brokers from smaller firms and niche industries who were punching above their weight and achieving big things.
In total, there were eight measurements, covering: premium income
revenue per client
industry awards and recognition number and value of policies written
number of new clients introduced to the business during the 2012 calendar year
Entries for the inaugural Insurance Business Elite Brokers ranking, which were invited throughout February and March this year, went through an evalua-tion process. The final ranking was based on a number of criteria, including:
total revenue new revenue policies written revenue per client number of new clients client retention
industry awards and recognition
A place in the Insurance Business Elite Brokers ranking is clear recognition of each broker’s professional standing as one of the leading brokers in the Australian insurance market.
However, in interviews with our inaugural top 30 the consistent message received was that they couldn’t have achieved such successful results without a strong network of support staff and stakeholders.
David Summers of Markey Insurance – who ranked at number 6 – says it best: “Our business has been given the opportunity to grow, thanks to the amazing support that has been provided to us behind the scenes, from our hardworking and dedicated claims and processing teams all the way through to my assistant Ruthanne, who really does make me look good.”
Meanwhile, the Insurance Business magazine and website are committed to meeting the information and business development needs of insurance brokers, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to the nation’s top 30.
What does it take to make an Elite Broker? When interviewing our top 30 brokers, several common strategies for success became clear:
CUSTOMER SERVICE
An unwavering commitment to customer service is
essential, from first point of contact with a potential
client, through to follow-up after a claim has been processed.
RELATIONSHIPS
With clients, with colleagues, with insurers and with other brokers… If you want longevity and success
in your brokerage career, you need to nurture your relationships across the board.
PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
It’s no longer acceptable to sit behind a desk and correspond via email. If you want to be a cut above the rest in today’s market, you need to hit the
phones, visit clients in person, and make a genuine connection.
INTERNAL TEAMWORK
Every broker bar none agreed that continued
success is not possible without a qualified and
supportive team to back you up.
4 SUCCESS STRATEGIES
REVEALED
SPECIAL REPORT / TOP 30 ELITE BROKERS
Top 30 winners
RANK NAME COMPANY
1 RON TATARKA SCOTT WINTON INSURANCE BROKERS
PTY LTD
2 RUSSELL BRESLAND BRESLAND CONSULTANTS PTY LTD
3 KAREN HARDY ACME INSURANCE BROKERS
4 ANDREW FABER SODALITAS PTY LTD AS AR TO MGA
INSURANCE BROKERS
5 KEITH RODERICK RODERICK INSURANCE BROKERS PTY LTD
6 DAVID SUMMERS MARKEY GROUP
7 DAVID CLARKE OAMPS GAULT ARMSTRONG
8 SIMON ALTHAUS SCOTT WINTON INSURANCE BROKERS
PTY LTD
9 GEOFFREY YOUNGS MACKAY CANEGROWERS LIMITED
10 GREG PURSLOWE IC FRITH & ASSOCIATES WA
11 WES RODERICK RODERICK INSURANCE BROKERS PTY LTD
12 DAVID VERRYT WESTCOURT GENERAL INSURANCE
BROKERS
13 TRENT MOCKFORD BROOKVALE INSURANCE BROKERS
14 SHARON PYNE PARMIA
15 AVI TATARKA SCOTT WINTON INSURANCE BROKERS
PTY LTD
16 PRUDENCE CHANG NATIONAL CREDIT INSURANCE (BROKERS)
PTY LTD
17 VISHAL KAPOOR MCLARDY MCSHANE INSURANCE &
FINANCIAL SERVICES
18 ELYSSA JOHNSON GSA INSURANCE BROKERS PTY LTD
19 BEN SPOKES WHK GENERAL INSURANCES PTY LTD
20 JOHN CRAVEN MGA INSURANCE BROKERS (AS LICENSEE)
21 TIM COOPER ELLIOTT INSURANCE BROKERS
22 ILONA KALIMA YELLOW BRICK ROAD WEALTH
MANAGEMENT PTY LTD
23 SHARON FOX-SLATER EBM INSURANCE BROKERS
24 VICTOR DABROWSKI SECURITEX FINANCIAL SERVICES PTY LTD
25 NICK VAN MAASDYK RODERICK INSURANCE BROKERS PTY LTD
26 DAVID COE NORTHWEST INSURANCE
27 KIRSTEN WINEFIELD CAPITAL INSURANCE BROKERS
28 TONY CHRISTIAN SOUTH EAST QLD INSURANCE GROUP
29 FRANCES WOODEN INSURANCE BROKERS OF CENTRAL
WAGGA PTY LTD AUTH REP OF SCOTT & BROAD/CLARK PACIFIC
30 ROBERT COOPER COOPER PROFESSIONAL RISKS PTY LTD
TRADING AS CPR INSURANCE SERVICES
This year marks something of a unique milestone for Ron Tartarka, the man in the top position of our Insurance Business Elite Brokers ranking: in 2013, he celebrates his 21st year at the helm of Scott Winton Insurance Brokers (SWIB), the brokerage he established in 1992.
“Recently, I looked back and realised that 21 years ago I started this business with little experience and even less capital, and I realised how tremendously the busi-ness has grown,” Tatarka says.
“There were challenges and occasional setbacks along the way, but by using them as opportunities and building meaningful relationships with my clients and my colleagues, I have been able to reach my business goals.” Being named our inaugural Elite Brokers winner is “an honour and a privilege”, Tatarka adds, “as it affirms Scott Winton’s standing as a leading insurance broker and acknowledges our success in increasing new busi-ness whilst maintaining our exceptional record of client retention. But, my success would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of the Scott Winton staff and the ongoing support of our insurers and clients.”
His top ranking is certainly well deserved. Over the last two decades, Tatarka has built a successful business from the ground up by establishing long-term,
trust-Ron Tatarka
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
SCOTT WINTON INSURANCE BROKERS
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based relationships that not only keep his retention rates high, but that also generate new business via referral time and time again.
“Our business structure is designed to put the clients needs’ first, as we’re geared towards providing expertise in all the different types of insurance,” Tatarka explains.
“If specialist expertise is required our clients are referred to our network of independent consultants, surveyors, valuers and risk management experts.”
Now with offices in Melbourne and Sydney, Tatarka says that providing clients with excellent service is both his goal and his passion.
“Meeting and anticipating our clients’ needs is what gives Scott Winton its edge over our competitors,” he says. “In this complex and aggressive market, it is often difficult to negotiate competitive terms, but we excel because our clients understand that price is not everything; they trust us to protect their interests and know that we are available to assist them any time of the day or night.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
“Our focus is on fully protecting our clients and making sure that the cover provided is the widest possible for
the premiums charged. One thing I’ve learnt over the
years is the importance of making sure all claims made by clients are paid out to their satisfaction, and this can
only be done if the policy is correct in the first place. We
monitor client satisfaction by the number of referrals we get and the reputation of Scott Winton as a whole;
we work to understand the specific needs of our clients and identify cost effective solutions for them, and
nearly all of our new business written is from personal referrals as a result.”
Coming in at the number two spot is Russell Bresland, who was “absolutely shocked and amazed” when
Insurance Business caught up with him on the phone in Singapore to give him the good news.
“I feel very privileged – I would have been excited just being in the top 30, but to be number two? It’s fantastic,” he says. “It’s not only for myself, but I’m also proud of my staff – I really do work with a wonderful team.”
A supportive and client-oriented workplace is not something that Bresland, who semi-retired from the industry six years ago, takes for granted. When he sold his successful brokerage in 2007 he moved to Singapore, and quickly learned the value of good customer service.
“I’d get phone calls from former clients saying, ‘where are you?’ Can you help me with my policy?’ But I’d signed a three-year restraint of trade when I sold my brokerage, so I couldn’t do anything for them,” he explains.
“When the three years expired in February 2010, I was getting too many phone calls to ignore, so I started again with a brand new brokerage. We’ve rebuilt a busi-ness that is actually bigger than what I sold, and it’s all grown through referral. We go out of our way to try and make sure we give really, really good service. Some of my clients I’ve been dealing with since February 1981.”
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SUCCESS DRIVER: TEAM WORK
“You don’t achieve something like this by yourself. We all
help each other out, and if one of our clients rings and
their usual contact is unavailable, we handle each other’s
client requests and everyone chips in.”
Russell Bresland
OWNER AND PRINCIPAL, BRESLAND CONSULTANTS PTY LTD
“It is important that claims
made by clients are paid
out to their satisfaction;
this can only be done if
the policy is correct in the
first place”
SPECIAL REPORT / TOP 30 ELITE BROKERS
When Insurance Business told Karen Hardy she had ranked third, her first words were, “didn’t any-one else enter?!” On the contrary – our initial call-out for entries encouraged a massive response
– but it was Hardy’s ability to consistently drum up new policies, new clients and new revenue streams that propelled her towards the top of the list.
“I’m astonished and amazed. I’m very honoured to be awarded this position and I think this is a wonderful opportunity for brokers to gauge their performance against their peers,” she says of the inaugural rankings.
“I am hopeful that all of my counterparts will make the time to apply to be an Elite Broker next year so that this may become a true ‘national competition’ for the legion of committed professionals within our industry.”
Pointing to the industry’s response to Tropical Cyclone Yasi as one her fondest career moments, Hardy says she is “truly proud to be part of such a vital industry and experience the results of its benefits firsthand on such an awesome scale”.
“From the IBNA board and fellow members to our primary insurers Zurich, Vero, QBE, Lumley, CGU and Allianz, all parties rallied to support Acme Insurance Brokers, our clients and our community with speed, integrity, empathy and patience,” she says.
Moving forward, Hardy sees huge opportunities for the industry to educate both themselves and their clients, so that they may make informed and educated decisions about their risk management strategies.
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SUCCESS DRIVER: EDUCATION
“Insurance industry participants who rely on price-cutting
strategies do so at their own peril, as a price-based
purchase decision highlights consumers’ lack of
understanding. We should all strive to move away from price and focus on educating consumers about the value of the insurance industry, its participants and products.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: AGGRESSIVE GOAL-SETTING
“When we set that target to increase sales revenue by 25%, admittedly it was very much a stretch target
whereby the primary goal was a 15% increase on 2011’s
results. But with a focus on providing excellent service to our existing clients, we actually exceeded 25% growth through new business for existing clients, and by expanding our referral network via the delivery of a quality experience.”
Karen Hardy
DIRECTOR, ACME INSURANCE BROKERS
Sales growth of more than 25% in 2012 is just one of Andrew Faber’s most recent work accomplishments, achieved through a “commitment to basic customer ser-vice principles”, as opposed to using brash and bold marketing or adver-tising campaigns.
Such impressive results helped to
elevate Andrew up the list of Insurance Business magazine’s top 30 Elite Brokers.
He describes his ranking as “a huge honour” and, like most brokers whom we interviewed, he reinforces that it’s not an achievement he believes he would have earned on his own.
“MGA’s management and AR structure have allowed me to focus on delivering a service to my clients, which has led to this ranking. This fourth-place result is something that I could never have achieved without a fantastic team, and this is recognition of their hard work and dedication, too,” Faber says.
“The insurance industry provides unlimited oppor-tunities to those with the drive and dedication to succeed. Whilst I am elated to have ‘fallen’ into the industry myself, I hope to be able to contribute to changing the profile of our industry so that the next generation of leaders will actively choose to become insurance professionals.”
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Andrew Faber
ACCOUNT MANAGER, MGA INSURANCE BROKERSSPECIAL REPORT / TOP 30 ELITE BROKERS
Keith Roderick
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
RODERICK INSURANCE BROKERS As Keith Roderick approaches his 50th year in the insurance industry,
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SUCCESS DRIVER: CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
“Insurance brokers are problem solvers by nature, and
we are experts, trusted advisors and business partners, but we are often perceived as a sales force or
misinterpreted as the ‘insurer’. I ensure that every client interaction with me is one that redefines how we are perceived and what we can do so that I continue to build a loyal client group that are the first to experience what I
consider to be the future of professional broking.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: STRONG CLIENT FOCUS
“I’m coming up to 50 years in the insurance industry and I still feel passionate about getting my clients
the right cover and looking after them when
something goes wrong. It’s a great industry to work in; as I tell our young trainees, this industry offers
variety and constant challenges and most importantly,
we get to make a difference in our clients’ lives.”
Rising star
David Clarke
ACCOUNT MANAGER, OAMPS GAULT ARMSTRONG
he stands at the helm of one of the largest regional brokerages in Victoria, with two offices and 30 staff members. And yet, the industry veteran still maintains his own portfolio, which includes a large and diverse client book.
“I am very proud of my business; I’ve built it up from a two-man show back in 1986, to now be employing 30 staff including my wife and two children,” he explains.
“It is great to be recognised in this way, when the industry has so many excellent brokers, and I think that anything that promotes broking as a career is a step in the right direction for the industry. This is a really good initiative.”
Aged just 24, David Clarke was recently recognised as OAMPS No.1 Young Broker for 2012, having grown his book from approximately $300,000 to more than $600,000 in three years.
He specialises in the marine, offshore and energy sectors, where he provides advice primarily to sub-contractors of major principals.
“I aim to give my clients access to a technical broker that exceeds the level of capability their principals have access to,” he explains.
“Being ranked number seven nationally and being recognised by Insurance Business, an industry- leading publication, means a lot to me from a personal perspective, and adds weight and kudos to my experience and client proposition.”
Clarke is also committed to the WA rock lobster
“This industry offers variety and
constant challenges and most
importantly, we get to make a
difference in our clients’ lives”
industry as an insurance provider, with his branch of OAMPS representing nearly 80% of the entire industry, from boats, processors and wholesalers to traders and repairers.
“I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been able to develop my oil and gas industry expertise to the extent that I am well regarded amongst the ROV [remotely operated vehicle] community, and other subsea and offshore subcontractors, as a leading expert in the space,” Clarke says.
His business, Roderick Insurance Brokers, which received the Geelong Business Excellence Award last year for Best Family Business, was rated number three in the top 10 brokerages for 2012.
SPECIAL REPORT / TOP 30 ELITE BROKERS
Elyssa Johnson manages the workers compensation team of five people within GSA, and personally oversees an impressive 322 different workers compensation programs.
Having exceeded her budget for the past 36 months, Johnson has led an already well-performing division of the business to achieve even bigger goals, which was recognised in 2012 when she and her team were awarded ‘GSA Division of the Year’.
Johnson was also promoted to divisional manager last year, which “felt A continual
high-achiever, Prudence Chang almost has more awards on her CV than you can count, and now add her newest accolade as an Insurance Business Elite Bro-ker to the list.
Over the last three years, Chang has written over $918,000 worth of brokerage, which equates to $8.5m worth of trade credit insurance premiums. “I’ve written approximately 200 policies in seven years, and I’ve retained 90% of my client base,” she says.
An NCI Sales Person of the Year six out of seven years and four-time NCI Executive Team Sales Achiever of the Year, Chang is clearly a top performer and consistently exceeds her budget.
But it’s not just her impressive sales figures that saw Chang rocket up the Elite Broker ranking. Some-thing of a sales superstar, Chang says she is driven by more than figures and budgets when writing new business and working with existing clients.
“I’m passionate about the fact that I’m able to protect the livelihood of people, through protection of their business,” she says simply.
“I can walk into someone’s business and create an insurance policy from the prospective that their debtors could fall insolvent. We are able to protect their livelihood, and that’s enormous for me.”
Top performer
Prudence Chang
SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (VICTORIA), NATIONAL CREDIT INSURANCE (BROKERS)
Elyssa Johnson
MANAGER, WORKERS COMPENSATION, GENERAL SECURITY AUSTRALIA INSURANCE BROKERS
SUCCESS DRIVER: RELATIONSHIPS
“I’m extremely proud of this achievement, as it reflects
my relationships not only with our customers but also
with insurers and other brokers. It’s very important to me as I’m passionate about the people in the industry as much as the industry itself. I think it’s important for all
businesses to have acquisition and sustainability strategies in place to create opportunities for new sales executives, and to keep them constantly engaged.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
“The industry is full of great
people, and I enjoy relating with
them on a day-to-day basis. Yes, insurance can at times be about processes and procedures, but, more importantly, it is all about relationships with the people you work with and for. As insurance professionals, we should be exciting, surprising and always adding value to the client.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: FOLLOW-UP
“My number one priority is to make every customer feel special. That involves getting to know my client personally and
professionally, understanding their priorities and their business needs, and providing them with the right product. More than that,
it’s about letting them know I am
always available to answer any query, follow through any claim and address any concerns.”
that Tatarka is just 28 years old and relatively new to the industry.
Being awarded the 15th position in the inaugural Insurance Business Elite Brokers ranking “means a great deal to me, as I have only been work-ing in the insurance field for three years,” Tatarka says. “And on a per-sonal note, it gives me great pride to be ranked in the same group as my father Ron, who has been awarded first position. He has been a mentor to me and continues to provide me with unstinting support.”
like a real reward for my efforts,” she says. And now taking out the number 18 position on the Elite Brokers ranking, Johnson adds another accolade to her list.
“It’s an exciting achievement! I’m honoured to have been ranked in the top 30 so early on in my career. It gives my colleagues and I confidence and a platform that we can build on,” she says. “The insur-ance industry is tough and com-petitive but after eight years, I still love what I do and know that I’m adding real value to our clients.”
Management
fast track
Avi Tatarka
ACCOUNT MANAGER, SCOTT WINTON INSURANCE BROKERS
Looking after approximately $2.5m worth of business, Avi Tatarka has exceeded his budget by more than 30% for two years running – impressive when you consider
clients,” Elliott explains. “He provides his clients with a level of service which is extremely rare, given their size. It’s not just about the brokers handling those accounts worth $50,000 or more, it’s also a testament to an outstanding and profes-sional broker to maintain both outstanding service for
clients, and profitability for his employer. Tim is one of the best I have seen in terms of juggling these two accomplishments with ease.”
Industry leader
Sharon Fox-Slater
GENERAL MANAGER, EBM INSURANCE BROKERS
Managing an office of 45 people, Sharon Fox-Slater opened EBM Insurance Broker’s first east coast office in 1997 and has been with the company for 20 years. Dur-ing that time she has become the first female to complete
the Advanced Diploma of Finan-cial Services with National Insur-ance Brokers Association (NIBA) and the first female fellow, two achievements that Fox-Slater doesn’t take lightly.
“Some of my proudest moments have been breaking new ground for women in what is still a male-dominated industry,” she says.
And now, placing in the 23rd position of Insurance Business
magazine’s Elite Brokers ranking is another attainment for Fox-Slater to be proud of.
“There are thousands of exceptional brokers around Australia – both colleagues and
SUCCESS DRIVER: BROKER EXPERTISE
“Landlord policies are not all alike and don’t cover all the
same things, and as brokers we have an opportunity to educate. There are some sub-standard products on the
market, and it’s actually not just the coverage that counts – it’s also the service you get if you need to make a claim.
We regularly receive testimonials and compliments from our clients about our exceptional service.”
SUCCESS DRIVER: CLIENT REFERRALS
“I still remember the first time a client referred my
services to another in their industry. Receiving that phone call and hearing the unknown party tell me that
they’d been told to call me because of the good work I’d done for their colleague was a great feeling.”
Focus on service
Tim Cooper
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, ELLIOTT INSURANCE BROKERS
Nominated by his boss, John Elliott, for the Insurance Business Elite Broker ranking, Tim Cooper was both surprised and pleased to be advised of his placing at the 21st spot.
“Being ranked anywhere in the top 30 brokers is a great individual honour, considering the field and the quality of my colleagues recognised in Insurance Business’ ranking. It’s a huge compliment and recognises our hard work,” Cooper says.
Working primarily within the SME market, which en-tails high volume and a knowledge of a wide variety of industries, Cooper has demonstrated the ability to “adapt his knowledge and service clients in many weird and wonderful industries,” Elliott says.
“Tim’s dedication to his existing clients goes above and beyond, which is reflected in growth in his book not just from new clientele, but also with his existing
competitors – so making the Elite Brokers list in any position is an honour,” she says.
It’s a well-deserved recognition for Fox-Slater, who oversees a low premium, high volume portfolio – landlord insurance – that presents plenty of unique challenges as a broker.
“Property investors really need to take the time to fully compare what various policies offer, which is where brokers can play a big role. A lot of people spend more time choosing a flat screen TV than researching their options with insurance,” she says.
Landlord insurance is the largest division of EBM, with 110,000 clients and a network of around 4,500 real estate agents nationally, and Fox-Slater only sees oppor-tunities for further growth ahead. “It has consistently grown over the past 20 years and this is a direct result of the outstanding service and the skills and expertise that myself and my staff possess,” Fox-Slater says.
