The 2022 NIBA Awards – the ultimate career move
With the 2022 NIBA Awards now open for nomination, there is a clear consensus among previous winners of the Young Broker of the Year and Broker of the Year – if you have the opportunity to participate, grab it with both hands to drive not only some very gratifying personal recognition but heightened business and career opportunities.
Kate Martin, the 2020 Young Broker of the Year, is a Senior Sales Executive at Marsh in Brisbane. “Writing the personal statement for the awards and doing that level of reflection wasn’t easy, but what came through is that what we do is all about service – not just to clients, which is at the core, but that insurance services the whole community. It makes the world go round.”
“There are three reasons why I would recommend going through the process. The first is obvious – it’s such a good opportunity to acknowledge someone’s awesomeness. Secondly, it’s also important for people to recognise their own abilities and this is a good time to take stock.”
“And finally, this is an unrivalled platform for getting your name out there. Since I won, people have introduced themselves and they already know who I am, which has blown me away a bit! It can be hard for young brokers to get that kind of recognition and I would have no hesitation in putting up someone I think deserves it. Even without progressing through to further stages, it’s a thought-provoking and valuable exercise for both the nominator and nominee.”
The 2018 Broker of the Year winner Kim Gilbert, who is the founder of Zenith Insurance Services in WA, said the award reflects his long-held belief in helping everyone connected with his business to push their horizons. “If you ‘talk the talk’ you need to ‘walk the walk’. This is a very rewarding process because the whole awards journey really benefited my staff. It made us reflect on what we’ve achieved and where we want to go. I was able to demonstrate that it doesn’t matter where you start in life, it’s the journey. I think the award was a validation of what we’ve always tried to do with our people and that’s foster their own development – with a focus on commonsense and communication skills that will always steer you right in the broking profession.
“I think senior people in broking have a responsibility to promote our industry and encourage people to reach the highest standards. To do that, we need to lead by example and that’s why I got involved in the awards. They also offer the ability to network with industry people and learn other perspectives.”
Do you know an outstanding insurance broking professional?
Submit your nomination to the 2022 NIBA Awards by completing the online form by Friday 28 February 2022.