Steadfast co-founder and CEO Robert Kelly and Insurance Advisernet founder and chairman Ian Carr won lifetime achievement honours at the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance awards last night. 

They received the evening’s highest honours for their enduring impact on the broking profession and their role in shaping the insurance landscape.

Mr Kelly said the award is the “sum of many people who have worked together and built an organisation that stands for innovation, resilience and commitment” to clients and communities.

“Since co-founding Steadfast Group in 1996, and nearly three decades later, it fills me with immense pride to see how that vision has turned into an incredibly powerful and successful place for people to live, work and for SME insurance brokers to belong to a network that served them,” he said.

Insurance Advisernet says Mr Carr’s award is fitting recognition of nearly five decades of leadership, innovation and service to the profession. 

“What began as Ian’s dream, that talented advisers could build and own great local businesses within a values-led network, is now a reality across Australia and New Zealand,” it said in a LinkedIn post today.

“Many of our advisers are building lasting businesses, creating jobs and leaving a legacy in their communities because of that vision.”

More than 850 insurance professionals gathered at the Star Event Centre in Sydney for the 21st Australian Insurance Industry Awards. The other award winners were: 

• Small-medium broking company of the year – Warren Saunders Insurance Brokers
• Large broking company of the year – Aon  
• Authorised representative network of the year – Community Broker Network
• Underwriting agency of the year – NTI 
• Small-medium general insurance company of the year – Adica Insurance
• Large general insurance company of the year – QBE
• Claims team of the year – NTI
• Life insurance company of the year – NobleOak Life 
• Insurtech start-up of the year – Claims Gateway 
• Professional services firm of the year – Finity
• Service provider to the insurance industry – EML
• Excellence in workplace diversity and inclusion – Swiss Re
• Young insurance professional of the year – Ben McInnes, MHIA Insurance