How long have you been at MetLife?
I’ve been at MetLife since September 2019; however, I have been in the industry since July 1981 – over 40 years!
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry over the past 40 years?
When I started, there were over 40 life insurance companies in Australia and the industry was purely life insurance focused with agents selling products on behalf of the insurance companies.
Nowadays of course, the landscape has changed dramatically. Financial Planning is a profession and advice has expanded well beyond the ‘basic’ advice provided many years ago – it’s much more sophisticated and of course compliance driven. Products are also more advanced, i.e., when I started, Trauma Insurance hadn’t even been invented yet!
Whilst products have changed (and in some cases, almost gone full circle) one critical factor remains: life insurance products can provide much needed security to Australian families, individuals, and businesses.
Life insurance remains important, and it pains me to see so much reliance on crowd funding (Go Fund Me and the likes) or relying on default cover as the only source of funds. This should be corrected. The future generations of Financial Advisers need to understand the importance of life insurance as part of an overall financial plan and the provision of this advice needs to be made more easily accessible and affordable to Australians.
What do you bring to the SA/NT/TAS market to support your advisers?
My point of difference is the value I can bring to advisers that goes beyond product.
Business insurance is one of my specialty areas that I can assist advisers with, and I have run many referral partner and client seminars on this in the past. I also sit on a number of advisory boards; I can assist advisers with business planning and growth strategies, and I’ve also partnered with great organisations such as #Business SA (where I am also a member) and #Food SA to create opportunities for my advisers within the SME market.
What is your favourite feature of MetLife Protect?
For me, this would have to be the optional benefit to reinstate Trauma Cover up to five times (once across each Trauma Category) and the continuous Accidental Death and Trauma Cover provided when exercising a Life Cover Buy Back Option (Trauma) or Trauma Cover Reinstatement Option.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I had originally wanted to be a chef and actually got a job as an apprentice chef before I realised I had to work Saturday nights… and my social schedule just wouldn’t allow it.
Partnering with MetLife
Whenever you need guidance on a client’s life risks or needs, our experts can help. We’ll work as your partners in life, helping you provide the best advice – and a fast response to any client query. Contact your State Manager.
