Meet the panel of insurance experts speaking at the 2022 NIBA Summit
NIBA is thrilled to announce an exciting panel of insurance experts, who will be speaking at the NIBA 2022 Summit.
Stuart McKellar, Head of Commercial & Affinity at Howden Insurance Brokers.
Stuart has more than 23 years of insurance experience, with nearly 18 years working in international broking houses. During this time, Stuart has held various management and executive leadership positions for state-based and national businesses.
He has been responsible for the provision of all aspects of broking services to ASX-listed companies, private companies, government-owned corporations, associations and multi-members corporations, with clients from a wide range of industries and sectors. In addition, he has advised clients on alternative risk transfer solutions, such as discretionary trusts.
Shaun Standfield, Managing Director at Insurance Advisernet
Shaun currently leads Insurance Advisernet with operations in over 260 locations across Australia and New Zealand and over $1.2 billion in premium.
Shaun holds an MBA, Bachelor of Business, Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Broking), Graduate Diploma in Management and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Shaun has an active interest in the not for-profit sector, having chaired the QBE Foundation in Australia and Asia, while being long associated with KidsXpress, and in recent years with the Insurance Advisernet Foundation.
Shaun takes immense pleasure from assisting individuals to grow their own business, having clients that become their friends and from Advisers building an asset for themselves and their families.
Jeff Murdoch, Director at Emjay Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd
Jeff Murdoch joined Emjay Insurance Brokers in 2006 after 17 years of broking and 10 years working with mainstream insurers. He began his career with South British United in 1979 as an underwriting clerk, and then a Business Development Manager.
The desire of world travel meant leaving Mercantile Mutual in 1988 to see the Winter Olympics in Canada and skiing throughout the Rockies on a working holiday.
Returning some 12 months later led to the realisation of a new challenge and career in broking. Starting as an Authorised Representative in 1992 with Genesis allowed him to finetune new broking skills, which motivated Jeff to own a brokerage. So in 1994, the birth of the Asset Insurance Brokers emerged, which followed with the merger with Adept Insurance brokers and ultimately Austbrokers Sydney.
Specialising in hard to place businesses then led to the formation of a plastics facility and a desire to empower ambitious businesses to take risks. Jeff lives by the slogan ‘we are risk advisers and have a duty to understand our client’s business operations’.
Jeff has a true passion for the insurance industry and is very proud to be part of the NIBA Mentoring Program for the last 15 years, which has successfully facilitated and accelerated the development of our young industry leaders.
Ximena Smith, Director at AEI Insurance Broking Group
Ximena commenced her insurance career as a receptionist with an insurance broker in 1991, and after a short period of time with the business, was enrolled into an insurance traineeship. Over the subsequent years, she worked her way up the ranks until she was managing her own insurance broking portfolio, with a client focus around the amusement industry, specifically show rides, circuses and amusements parks.
Whilst in this role, Ximena was presented with an opportunity to work with Austbrokers Holdings Limited, and over the course of her time with them, she supported the network members with development and training around their IT systems, the implementation of the new licensing requirements under the Financial Services Reform Act, and in 2005 was a member of the verification team when Austbrokers Holdings Limited listed on the ASX.
In 2008, Ximena joined AEI Insurance Broking Group as their General Manager and in 2019, she was appointed to Director. AEI Insurance Broking Group is represented in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, with employees in excess of 100 staff.
Ximena holds an Advanced Diploma of Financial Services (Broking) and is a Fellow of NIBA.