Will Freyer awarded 2026 Lloyd’s Australia Innovators Scholarship
Will Freyer has been announced as the recipient of the 2026 Lloyd’s Australia Innovators Scholarship.
ANZIIF and Lloyd’s Australia are proud to announce Will Freyer, Graduate, Technical Division at Allianz Australia, the recipient of the 2026 Lloyd’s Australia Innovators Scholarship.
Freyer received the scholarship for his pitch, “Carbon Performance Protection Facility: Unlocking carbon project finance through innovative risk transfer”, which explores how innovative insurance solutions could help address financing risk and enable investment in carbon projects.
The scholarship recognises emerging insurance leaders with bold ideas for tackling the risks reshaping the industry, while supporting them to build their professional expertise.
This year, applicants were challenged to draw on Lloyd’s legacy of innovation to address climate resilience and extreme weather or digital risk and AI-driven insurance innovation.
From a record number of candidates, the judging panel said Freyer stood out for his ability to frame a highly specialised risk as an opportunity with broad market appeal.
His proposal explores insurance as a potential enabler of project finance. The judges also praised his enthusiasm and engaging presentation, describing him as exactly the kind of forward-thinking talent the scholarship aims to support.
ANZIIF CEO Katrina Shanks said the scholarship gives emerging professionals an opportunity to develop new approaches to some of the industry’s most complex risks.
“Insurance has an important role to play in finding new ways to respond to emerging risks and unlock opportunities for businesses and communities. Will’s proposal demonstrates the kind of forward thinking this scholarship was created to encourage, and we look forward to supporting him as he develops his expertise and takes the idea further.”
Freyer, currently on the Allianz Graduate Program, will receive enrolment in ANZIIF’s Lloyd’s Demystified course and support towards an ANZIIF Diploma valued at up to $5,000 and a one-year Individual Insider membership with Insurtech Australia worth $462. An Insurtech Australia mentorship will help him develop his winning idea further.
He will also be invited to a day-in-the-life experience at the Lloyd’s Australia Sydney office, offering first-hand exposure to the Lloyd’s market and its approach to insurance and reinsurance innovation.
The Lloyd’s Australia Innovators Scholarship champions innovation in insurance while recognising future leaders and creative thinkers with the potential to help the industry respond to emerging risks across the region.
