Women in insurance leadership are central to this conversation with Lisa Hiscock, Director of Hakea Insurance Brokers. Mark Silveira interviews Lisa about her journey from a tough start in Chatham, UK, to senior underwriting roles at AXA XL and Axis, and ultimately founding Hakea to create a more flexible, values-driven career. You’ll hear how a love of travel and learning opened doors beyond a traditional legal path, why early exposure to clients at Hiscox accelerated her growth, and w...

Mentorship in insurance careers is central to this conversation with Mike McShane, founder and director of McClardy McShane Partners. From a modest beginning in Melbourne to co-founding one of Australia’s most respected broker networks, Mike explains how resilience, education, and trusted mentors shaped his journey. He recalls leaving school early, travelling across Australia doing tough jobs, and realising that true learning often comes from experience. Returning home, he completed a Bachelo...

Mentorship in insurance impacts careers, cultures, and client results—and few exemplify this better than Ambrose Construct’s Executive GM of Business Development, Darren Trott. In this chat with Mark Silveira, Darren shares a 40-year journey from Adelaide to national leadership, illustrating how mentors, music, and resilience shaped an empathy-first approach to claims and culture. You’ll discover how early family influences and a parallel life as a musician taught Darren to listen carefully; ...

"I don't think you can have real, sustained success, especially in leadership, without having some sort of sacrifice." Allicia Tsolis's genuine leadership in insurance takes centre stage in this episode of Business Made Personal. As the Executive General Manager of Workers’ Compensation at Suncorp, Allicia shares how a tough childhood in South Australia and her Greek heritage shaped her grit, empathy, and people-first leadership approach. She explains how early hardships fostered resilience,...

"It is the best thing I have ever done in my life….taken jobs that I probably shouldn't have or possibly shouldn't have been offered." Calling it as it is is Kerrie Challenor’s stock in trade, and in this podcast, she did not disappoint. A couple of notable comments from Kerrie: “Let's face it, it's not really rocket science… Insurance. (You can learn it, but) What you can't teach people is how to be resilient or how to have respect.”

"I just accepted that I was different and stopped trying to fit in so much." As a child of Turkish migrants, growing up, Nese faced two choices. Either to continue her education and keep learning or to get married. Nese chose the former, and when explaining her decision, she says that for her, “the driver really becomes well, I need to be independent, I need to be able to do things without relying on anyone else. The saying knowledge is power absolutely resonated with me.”

"I tend to spend a lot of time in my own head questioning every decision I make and second-guessing and analysing." Being able to speak German unbeknownst to him helped Simon Lightbody enter the insurance industry. He admits that he is “not the sort of character who has this kind of myopic view that I'm going to do this and I am absolutely right set on it” and that flexibility has allowed him to take risks - the biggest and most challenging being starting his own Underwriting Agency, Miramar....

"If you want to learn and grow, and exceed, you just have to put in the work and hustle." Starting an insurance broking business when you have a four-year-old and are pregnant with your second child is not for the faint-hearted. Having decided she wanted to spend more time with her children, starting out on her own was Lisa’s way of being present for her children whilst creating an insurance business that now employs eight people, most of whom are working mothers.

"You will be offered opportunities. Take them, try things, do different things, challenge yourself and take yourself out of your comfort zone because that's how you learn." Understand what your values are and what you stand for, and what you don't stand for. What's right for you? What's wrong for you? And what are you prepared to compromise on? Because this will guide you not only in your work life but also in your personal life. On staying relevant, Adam’s tips: ask for help, be really clear...

"A tingle of fear is good because that's giving you the right knowledge that you're probably pushing yourself to where you'll grow and learn." Brendan Dunne walks around with a set of post-it notes because, in his words, if it can't fit on the post-it note, it's probably not going to get done. This approach has served him well in his different leadership roles over his 20+ years at Allianz. His other piece of advice is to “make sure that you're not leaving your life behind because you spend a...

"People said I was ambitious. I didn't see that in myself. I just had that thirst for understanding the industry." Rebecca has advice for those seeking an insurance career: believe in yourself, trust that you can do it, be prepared to take chances, and keep your mind open to alternative views. She is also quick to point out that understanding AI will be fundamental to the future, whether they're in the industry now or thinking about joining. Melbourne Insurance Professionals (LinkedIn Group)

"For me, one of the real opportunities for us as an industry is to shape the future of Australian communities." Scott is not someone who believes that AI robots will take over all our jobs, but he thinks we will need to work differently in the future. Key to that will be our ability to learn to interact with people who have different personality types.

"If you see me on the weekends, it's not at your standard nightclub. It'll normally be at a youth centre or something along those lines." Adopting the first of five children when he was 28 years old, Sam Ratcliff concedes it meant big changes in his life, particularly balancing his private life as a single parent and his career. That said, it also forced him to develop strong routines, and in his words, “Routine and rhythm lead to success.”

"Ultimately, a leader is recognised by the outcome, not the path to how you get there." Every successful career has a price tag attached. Nigel Fitzgerald discusses the impact that long hours have had, both positive and negative, on his work and personal life. He is the first to acknowledge that he is no martyr and chose that path even to the extent of declining to be the best man at a close friend's wedding by prioritising work commitments. He said, "I wouldn't deem it a work priority today....

"I think you deliver great results if you can develop a great culture". David Leach attributes his success to six key aspects he has had to develop to add value in his CEO roles: Communication, Professional Relationships, Knowledge and Expertise, Tools, Time Management, and on-time delivery and attitude. Based on his experience in other industries, he also believes that the insurance industry needs to develop a culture around innovation and have people on your team who are used to change and ...

"Success comes when you proactively embrace and lead with integrity and passion." Suzie White is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity. Having helped shape women's careers over many years, including her own, Suzie has made it her mission to foster, mentor, and support career growth for both women and men.

"Coming in with a really open mind and an eagerness to listen and learn has served me well, and it still does." Prue Monument spent 20 years in government roles, but nothing could have prepared her for the profound impact of supporting Syrian refugees. This work deeply shook her confidence and worldview for a time. Reflecting on her journey, Prue credits her parents for instilling a sense of passion and purpose in her. She says, "They had a talent for encouraging us to pursue what we loved. ...

"That's one great thing about our industry: people will always give you the time no matter who they are, how high up they are or wherever they are." Considering the enormous risk of purchasing a brokerage, Jonathan Lam didn't realise how many hats he would wear as a business owner, knowing that the buck had stopped with him. One significant advantage has been spending time with his young family and sharing the business with his wife. His advice: Back yourself in, work hard, and it will work ...

"You're at work for a long time, so if you don't enjoy it, go and find somewhere else." Discussing the varied roles in his working life, Mike Edmonds has always had a strong desire to win, whether swimming, rugby or playing in a pipe band. In this podcast, Mike says that one of his key learnings, as he has developed his career, is that, these days, “I'm probably a bit more measured than I once was. A little bit more patient than I once was”.

"I’ve always been motivated and largely happy at work." Having seen the evolution of insurance claims for over 30 years, David Gow is still amazed at the education his role gives him. He cites one learning that he was unaware of: that Easter eggs are made all year round. He also notes the privilege of being able to assist people in their most difficult times.