The NIBA awards – celebrating stellar careers

The 2023 NIBA Awards represents the pinnacle of professionalism in the insurance broking industry. Past winners of the Vero-sponsored Young Broker of the Year, Clint Jeuring and QBE-sponsored Broker of the Year, John Mutton share how winning the award has impacted their careers.  

When John Mutton won the NIBA Broker of the Year award in 2014, it reflected decades of experience in both broking and underwriting, and his commitment to professional development, having put himself through degrees in commercial law, insurance and risk management.  

Now the Pacific Head of Corporate, Commercial and Affinity at Marsh, John ran the Victorian operation for what was formerly known as InterRISK at the time of his win. Key to his decision to participate, even after turning down the first approach to be nominated, was a desire to raise InterRISK’s profile. “Whether I was successful or not, I thought it would be good for the brand. We also won some new business afterwards that wouldn’t have found its way to us had I not won,” he recalls. 

Far from the awards only having visibility among insurance industry peers and colleagues, John found himself in front of two new clients. Instead of searching for a particular broking firm, or asking their networks for a recommendation, John says these clients found google searches based on his individual profile, rather than brand. 

“Both businesses were owned or managed by young people, Gen Xers with no appreciation for any of the ‘big brands’ in the industry. One had a clothing business and the other was a car sharing start-up and, because of the award, they found their way to me.” 

More doors opened. “I was asked to present at a NIBA Christmas event that year,” John says. “I was in the NIBA magazine, the ANZIIF magazine, and I also noticed an uptick in people looking at my LinkedIn profile, which I can only put down to winning the award.”  

Beyond the respect the awards generate among peers, John says the awards provide a motivator that helps the industry strive for continual improvement. “I think any opportunity we can take to raise the bar also leads to better collaboration in developing young talent and attracting more mature age people who may have never considered working in the industry before. One of the things I like about the award is that you are nominated by peers and the winners are awarded by your peers. While we operate in a very competitive environment, this is one area where we collaborate well as a collective under NIBA’s leadership.” 

This is a sentiment also top of mind for 2005 Vero-sponsored Young Broker of the Year award winner, Clint Jeuring. “I was 26 when I won and up until then I’d been known as ‘Hank’s son’ – my dad was prominent in the industry. The win not only raised my profile but helped me solidify what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go.” 

Regional Director at EBM Insurance and Risk in Perth, Clint says the awards fit into the wider NIBA ecosystem aimed at continuing to build professionalism in broking. “That’s why I’ve maintained my involvement with NIBA; ongoing learning and development are massive for me and the people around me – I love it. This allows us to develop the skills to deal with increased compliance, tough market conditions and difficult risks to place. We put in the work to bring clients along on a journey that they value.” 

Nominations close for the 2023 Vero-sponsored Young Broker of the Year award on 28 February 2023 and the 2023 QBE-sponsored Broker of the Year award on 22 March 2023. Simply complete your nomination at niba.com.au/awards – it only takes a few minutes.