How long have you been at MetLife?
I started at MetLife in February 2020 as State Manager for NSW and ACT– just before COVID hit! And in the last 15 months, I have also been managing QLD.
Have you always been in life insurance?
I’ve been in life insurance for over 21 years and in that time, I have worked across a variety of different areas with both licensees and advisers.
What keeps me in the industry is not only the many great people I have worked with over the years, but my unyielding belief in the importance of having life insurance. There is an underinsurance gap in Australia1, and this means people may be financially vulnerable if the unexpected were to happen. Unfortunately, we cannot predict illness or injury, but we can help minimise the financial impact it may have.
As part of this, I believe all Australians should have access to quality advice and there is a need for more independent financial advisers than ever before.
Where does your passion for life insurance stem from?
Early in my career, I was a BDM for a life insurer and worked closely with an adviser who also happened to be a policyholder. He was diagnosed with cancer, and I helped him through the claims process – and being able to personally deliver his claim cheque and see firsthand the impact it had on his life was a real defining moment for me. It brought home the importance of life insurance and has been the driving force behind everything I do.
What do you enjoy most about working at MetLife?
It’s great being part of a company that is a global leader in helping people around the world protect what is most important.
With over 150 years’ experience, a strong presence in over 40 countries and named as one of the World's Most Admired companies by Fortune Magazine in 2017-2018 and again in 2022-2023, we have the experience, global resources and vision to provide financial certainties for an uncertain world.
In Australia, we are still at the beginning of our journey having only launched our Retail business in 2018, however, it’s been very rewarding to see the business grow over that time. My team and I look forward to taking the Retail business into the future and making a difference to more Australian lives.
There must be a lot of great moments in MetLife’s history over the past 150 years
There are and some of my favourites which shows how MetLife cares for its customers and the communities it serves are:
- In 1893, we honoured customers' policies that lapsed as a direct result of jobs lost in the Depression.
- In 1912, several rooms at our Madison Avenue complex in New York were made available to the American Red Cross to provide relief and support services for Titanic survivors and victims’ families.
- And more recently, MetLife provided more than $250 million of relief to help people cope with the COVID-19 global pandemic.
What’s your proudest accomplishment?
Without a doubt, my family. My wife and I have three daughters – aged 9, 8 and 6 – and they keep us on our toes, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I love cooking and experimenting with new dishes. When I’m not whipping up a new dish, I can be found in the great outdoors somewhere – on the water, at the beach etc. We are a very active and outdoorsy family.
References
1. ricewarner.com/new-research-shows-a-larger-underinsurance-gap/
