Nominations for the 2023 Young Broker of the Year close soon
Two past winners of the Vero-sponsored Young Broker of the Year award, Amanda Marinis and Adele May share their experiences about winning this prestigious award and why you should nominate an inspiring young broker today.
Adele May, based in Melbourne at Gallagher’s Insolvency & Turnaround practice, says she was initially reluctant to proceed with the nomination. “Certainly, in this area of broking you don’t often get a pat on the back, so having the confidence to approach clients and underwriters for the referrals was nerve-wracking,” she says. “My clients are accountants and lawyers and everyone I approached immediately said they’d love to support me. That got me thinking, I might actually be able to do this.”
Going through the process to win the 2014 Vero-sponsored Young Broker of the Year award was a defining moment. “I was working in Brisbane at the time which gave me amazing visibility in that market. All my clients, even in big firms such as EY, PwC and Deloitte knew about the award and I would get random emails from people congratulating me despite not having told them about the award.
“When I updated my email signature to include the win, I received a lot of comments from clients, showing the value they place in the awards. I also got invited by insurers to their social functions and education days – something that didn’t really occur previously due to the specialist area I work in.
“People who go through the award process are passionate about insurance, see the value as a career and are in it for the long term. For me, the value of the award comes from the connections you make, and the relationships built on a foundation of mutual respect.
“If someone offers to nominate you, it’s a sign you already have a great deal of respect. Take it and run with it. Don’t doubt yourself.”
Marsh’s Victorian Risk Management Leader Amanda Marinis, who won the 2012 Young Broker of the Year award, finished her business degree craving a role with variety. Seeing a graduate program advertisement for Marsh with a picture of white-water rafting proved intriguing. “It turned out to be about navigating risk horizons, different industries, different challenges,” Amanda says. She thought she’d try it for 12 months and, now 20 years on, hasn’t looked back.
“We are seeing now, and not just through our graduate program, some very highly educated young people come into the industry, but we still need to work at differentiating ourselves as an amazing career opportunity. The awards process helps the industry not only reward best practice, but always look at what we do through a continuous improvement lens.
“The industry is in an exciting period in many ways, as the role of brokers is evolving. Brokers are seen as trusted advisers, who help educate businesses and facilitate a holistic approach to risk and resilience, and support clients as they have to navigate an increasingly complex and fast-shifting risk environment.”
The national winner of the Vero-sponsored 2023 Young Broker of the Year Award is selected from five finalists who win the state award in their local state/territory: NSW/ACT; Vic/Tas; SA/NT; WA and Qld. The state winners receive a four-week Professional Development Program combined with a Vero Young Brokers Alumni Experience, an opportunity to support a local community affected by a major weather event with a grant of $25,000 courtesy of Vero and a ticket to the 2023 NIBA Convention in October.
The national winner of Vero-sponsored 2023 Young Broker of the Year receives a tailored learning experience up to $10,000, courtesy of Vero. Previous winners’ prize has included a trip to London to experience the international broking market and a study program at the Yale School of Management in New Haven, Connecticut (USA). The winner of the Vero-sponsored 2023 Young Broker of the Year award will receive the Warren Tickle Trophy.
It only takes a few minutes to nominate a high achiever and submit their name for this prestigious award. So, make sure that you submit your nomination at niba.com.au/awards by Tuesday 7 March 2023.