The winners have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the Australian insurance industry and all share a common pursuit for excellence — view the 2022 winners on the ANZIIF website.

The industry’s ‘night of nights’ saw over 750 professionals from the insurance and financial services sector in attendance y’s ‘night of nights’ at The Star in Sydney.

Attendees were entertained by Master of Ceremonies Craig Reucassel, Australian writer and comedian best known for his work with The Chaser and for going through your bins on The War on Waste.

Among the awards for individual excellence, Bianca Parussolo (ProRisk) was announced Young Insurance Professional of the Year, Sharanjit Paddam (Finity Consulting) was announced Insurance Leader of the Year, and Jacki Johnson was presented with the ANZIIF Lifetime Achievement Award.

“We were so delighted to see a full house of over 750 insurance professionals here to celebrate the year that was – in person!’ said Prue Willsford, ANZIIF Chief Executive Officer. Every finalist embodied the true meaning of professionalism and has contributed to building trust and confidence in our community. For that, you all deserve to be celebrated.”

“Thank you to our fabulous, diverse judging panel for dedicating their time to fairly review all submissions. This year, our judging panel consisted of a wide range of industry representatives, and I know how much time they have invested to ensure a fair and serious consideration of the submissions.”

Congratulations to the 2022 Winners:

Small Broking Company of the Year: Clear Insurance

Medium Broking Company of the Year: Scott Winton Insurance Brokers

Large Broking Company of the Year: Marsh

Authorised Representative Network of the Year: Insurance Advisernet

Underwriting Agency of the Year: CHU Underwriting Agencies

Small-Medium General Insurance Company of the Year: Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT)

Large General Insurance Company of the Year: Suncorp Group

General Insurance Claims Team of the Year: CGU Strategic Broker Claims Teams

Life Insurance Company of the Year: AIA Australia

Insurtech Start-up of the Year: Mitti Insurance

Professional Services Firm of the Year: MinterEllison

Service Provider to the Insurance Industry: IVAA

Excellence in Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Hollard Insurance Company

Excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance Change: QBE

Young Insurance Professional of the Year: Bianca Parussolo, Professional Risk Underwriting  (ProRisk)

Insurance Leader of the Year: Sharanjit Paddam

ANZIIF Lifetime Achievement Award: Jacki Johnson

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Jacki Johnson

Australia’s financial services sector has come together in an unprecedented coalition to promote a transformation of the country’s financial system to prioritise prosperity for all, meet 21st century sustainability challenges, and position Australia more competitively within international markets.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI) – comprising 80 organisations across major banks, insurers, super funds, civil society, and stakeholders – has today released its Roadmap that sets out a bold plan to align Australia’s financial system to support a thriving Australian society, a healthy environment and a strong and prosperous economy.

The Roadmap calls for financial system participants to embed sustainability into their organisation’s purpose, strategy and leadership, and to support the transition of the economy to net zero emissions by 2050, consistent with international conventions including the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Roadmap makes 37 recommendations that will enable the financial services sector, together with regulators and governments, to strengthen Australia’s financial system with the aim of recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 and delivering a transition to a net zero, resource-efficient and inclusive economy.

ASFI Co-chair Jacki Johnson said “The Roadmap signifies a step change in how the finance sector does business. It provides a path towards a financial system that is better prepared to face future risks and shocks, such as a changing climate; to meet the current needs of Australians while delivering on long-term needs for a sustainable future; to enhance financial inclusion and well-being of all Australians, including our most vulnerable; and to direct capital to where it is most needed.”

“Many of the challenges that Australia faces are global in nature and, beyond our borders, a major international shift is underway shaping capital flows. There is an urgent imperative for Australia’s financial services sector to act to remain globally competitive in a world increasingly prioritising a sustainable economy.”

“We are seeking to re-orient capital – where capital is lent, what it insures and where it is invested – to supporting and building value today while strengthening the economic, natural and social assets that underpin our long term prosperity” said Johnson.

ASFI Co-chair Simon O’Connor, said “As governments across Australia – federal, state and local – set a direction for a stronger and more sustainable nation, this Roadmap is the financial services sector’s contribution to ensuring our sector is aligned with this future. As an industry, we are ready to lead and play our part”.

“Recent events, such as bushfires, floods and drought, as well as COVID-19, have highlighted how locally and globally connected our economy, society and environment are.”

“The financial services sector recognises the critical role it needs to play for Australia to recover from the pandemic and to prepare for our future challenges. We need to mobilise now to enable a prosperous and thriving economy, which can only be delivered while investing in a sustainable and resilient society, and healthy environment” O’Connor added.

The Roadmap’s 37 recommendations are focused on:

1. Embedding sustainability into leadership.
2. Integrating sustainability into practice.
3. Enabling resilience for all Australians.
4. Building sustainable finance markets.

The Roadmap has been developed collaboratively by more than 140 participants from over 80 organisations spanning Australia’s financial system, including financial institutions, civil society, academia, regulators and government. This has been done under the guidance of a Steering Committee comprising major banks, insurers, investors, and civil society representatives supported by financial regulators, APRA and ASIC, in observer roles. Delivery of the roadmap will be driven by a permanent sustainable finance body, to be established in 2021.

Read the Australian Sustainable Finance Roadmap report.

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Jacki Johnson

The leaders and senior executives of Australia’s major banks, superannuation funds, insurance companies, financial sector peak bodies, civil society and academia are coming together to set out a roadmap for realigning the finance sector to support greater social, environmental and economic outcomes for the country.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative has today been unveiled – an unprecedented collaboration to help shape an Australian economy that prioritises human wellbeing, social equity and environmental protection, while underpinning financial system stability, in what it says is a ‘critical decade’ ahead.

Modelled on international best practice already seen in groups including the European Union’s High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the UK’s Green Finance Taskforce, the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative will be guided by a Steering Committee charged with developing a set of recommendations to enable the finance sector to contribute more systematically to the transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy.

IAG Group Executive Jacki Johnson, co-Chair of the Initiative, said: “The roadmap we create will include pathways, policy signals and frameworks that will better enable the financial services sector to contribute to delivering on international commitments, such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while underpinning economic stability and prosperity for Australia.”

An Australian Sustainable Finance Roadmap will be delivered by the Steering Committee in 2020 with recommendations that will assist the financial services sector to:

1. Mobilise capital to deliver on national and global sustainable development and climate goals;
2. Enhance the sustainability, resilience and stability of the financial system by embedding sustainability, climate and human rights considerations into financial markets and products;
3. Ensure better informed financial decision making by enhancing disclosures and transparency on environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities; and
4. Deliver a financial system that meets community expectations around sustainability.

An Expression of Interest process in late 2018 called on experts active in sustainable finance to nominate to be part of the Steering Committee.

The following members and observers were appointed

Members

• Anna Skarbek, CEO – ClimateWorks
• Christina Tonkin, Managing Director Loans and Specialised Finance – Institutional – ANZ
• Damien Walsh, Managing Director – Bank Australia
• David Atkin, CEO – Cbus
• Didier Van Not, General Manager Corporate and Institutional Banking – Westpac Banking Corporation
• Emma Herd, CEO – Investor Group on Climate Change
• Eric Williamson, Executive General Manager, Corporate Finance – National Australia Bank
• Jacki Johnson (Co-Chair), Group Executive People, Performance and Reputation – IAG
• John Hewson, Chairman – Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia
• Mark Joiner, Chairperson – QBE Australia Pacific
• Mark Senkevics, Managing Director Head Australia and New Zealand – Swiss Re
• Matthew McAdam, Director Asia Pacific – Principles for Responsible Investment
• Michael Thorpe, Managing Director Institutional Banking and Markets – Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Phil Vernon, Managing Director – Australian Ethical Investment
• Richard Brandweiner, CEO – Pendal Group
• Robynne Quiggin, Professor – University of Technology Sydney, Business School
• Sarah Barker, Special Counsel – Minter Ellison
• Simon O’Connor (Co-Chair), CEO – Responsible Investment Association Australasia

Observers

• Geoff Summerhayes, Executive Board Member of APRA, Executive Committee Member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and Chair of the Sustainable Insurance Forum.
• Eric Usher, Head of the UN Environment Program Finance Initiative, Economy Division, UN Environment

Simon O’Connor, Initiative Co-Chair and CEO of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), says “Issues such as climate change and human rights have become material to business and the financial services community. Climate change was recently described by the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia as a ‘systemic risk’ to the stability of our economy, and APRA emphasised last week that climate risks are ‘material, foreseeable and actionable now’ ”.

“The financial services sector is both exposed to those risks, as well as having an essential role in funding and underwriting a future Australia, providing the capital necessary to deliver on sustainable development and climate-related commitments. Through a greater alignment between the financial services sector and these sustainability goals, the sector can both deliver for Australians while building a better, more stable and sustainable financial system.”

“This unique and high-level collaboration will set out a roadmap for achieving this goal and shows the willingness of the financial services sector to step up and play an active role in building a more sustainable and resilient economy for all Australians,” said Mr O’Connor.

Jacki Johnson says “a sustainable and resilient economy is a necessity, not an option, and is the foundation for ensuring Australia’s prosperity throughout the 21st century.”

“As we approach 2020, we are rapidly entering a critical decade for managing climate change and other risks,” said Ms Johnson.

“Australia has made a number of commitments to international targets. Achieving these goals extends beyond social or environmental objectives – it’s an economic and financial necessity. Our economy simply cannot prosper in an environment of ever-increasing severe weather events and the subsequent broader impacts these will have.”

“Delivering on these goals requires not just government policy and commitment, but business and finance leadership. Achieving these goals presents a sizeable economic and social opportunity.”

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