Steadfast CEO and co-founder Robert Kelly looked back at three decades of leadership and forward to future challenges during a candid interview at the group’s annual convention on the Gold Coast.

Steadfast was formed in 1996 and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2013. Mr Kelly will retire as CEO later this year.

He was interviewed this morning by former Insurance News publisher Terry McMullan, in the first convention session of the day.

Mr Kelly spoke about his childhood – including receiving a primary school prize for being the “class entertainer” – and an early foray into broking that ended in his company going bust.

But he had seen the strengths of small brokers and the potential in pulling together, and the idea for Steadfast was formed. Prioritising technological innovation such as the Steadfast Client Trading Platform helped the company grow into the juggernaut it is today.

Mr Kelly spoke about the group’s expansion into the US and Europe but also stressed the potential of Asia.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at a map, but Australia’s in Asia,” he said.

“In reality, the future of insurance development is definitely across Asia. There are almost as many people in Indonesia as America.”

He discussed the transformative effect of AI, but he believes clients will never be happy talking to an avatar. And he said while Australia is already in a “technical recession”, insurance is highly resilient.

Challenges for his successor as Steadfast CEO include the added responsibilities of running a publicly listed business, and deciding whether “the cultural way we’ve built the business is valid”.

“I personally think it is, but that will be for them to decide,” he said.

He reiterated his intention to join the Steadfast board after his retirement as CEO. “I’m 79. I hope to wake up one morning and be my age, worrying about things like whether my tea’s cold,” he said.

“I think the transition of being on the board will help me through that gestation period, from being a driving force.”

More than 1700 brokers, insurers and stakeholders are attending the convention, which launched with a welcome event at Miami Marketta last night.

It will conclude with a Greek-themed gala dinner tomorrow night, with fundraising for charity partner Guide Dogs Queensland.