Sedgwick loss adjuster Tony Morgan, Helia chair Leona Murphy and QBE Australia Pacific chair Melanie Willis have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day honours.

Mr Morgan, Sedgwick national executive adjuster, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for decades of service to the insurance sector.

Previously, he received lifetime achievement awards from the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance and the Australasian Institute of Chartered Loss Adjusters. He is the author of The Art of Loss Adjusting.

Ms Murphy received a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to business through governance roles.

Lenders’ mortgage insurer Helia appointed Ms Murphy to the board in 2022 and she became chair in 2024. She is also RACQ chair and heads the remuneration committee at Liberty Financial Group.

Ms Murphy held executive roles at IAG between 2007 and 2015, including chief strategy officer, chief transformation officer and group executive for the corporate office. She was also an EGM at Promina Group including Vero. 

Ms Murphy was co-chair of the United Nations Environmental Program Finance Initiative, Principles for Sustainable Insurance, and led its Global Resilience Program.

QBE’s Ms Willis was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the finance, banking and insurance sectors. 

Ms Willis joined QBE Australia Pacific in 2020 and became chair in 2023. Her board experience includes roles at Challenger, Pexa Group, PayPal Australia and Southern Cross Austereo. Ms Willis was a Chief Executive Women director and head of the NSW chapter from 2017 to 2020, and chaired the education committee for the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ 30% Club. 

David Chandler was named a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the building and construction industry.

Mr Chandler was appointed NSW Building Commissioner in 2019 as the state government faced concern over construction defects and moved to restore confidence in new developments. A Building Commission established in 2023 was led by Mr Chandler, who retired from the position in 2024.

Peter Edgar, principal and director of Edgar Insurance Brokers, now Gallagher, was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of Cobram in northern Victoria.  

He is chair of the Cobram Community Enterprise and a former president of the local Kiwanis and lawn tennis clubs, and has held other volunteer roles.