Vero has been named insurer of the year and Market Lane agency of the year at the Insurance Advisernet awards. 

Winners across more than 10 categories were announced at a gala dinner that concluded the group’s three-day annual conference on Hamilton Island last month.

About 500 delegates attended, including authorised representatives from Australia and New Zealand, and industry and service partners.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, Olympic gold medallist Jess Fox, National Insurance Brokers Association CEO Richard Klipin and strategic goal-setting specialist Keith Abraham were among speakers at the event.

More than $200,000 was raised for the IA Foundation, which has donated an average of $500,000 each year for the past 10 years.

Other award winners were:

• Specialist insurer of the year – Berkley 
• Employee of the year – Maryanne Cleasby 
• Chairman’s award – John Burke
• Insurance person of the year – Tracy Ambrose (Vero)
• Funding BDM of the year – Gareth Phillips (Attvest) 
• IA region of the year – northern region led by Mark Lee
• Emerging practice of the year – Precision Insurance 
• Southern region practice of the year – Bresland Insurance & Risk Specialists 
• Northern region practice of the year – Apex Insurance 
• Central region practice of the year – Irecon Insurance 
• Overall practice of the year – Irecon Insurance 

Insurance Advisernet’s IA50 conference, celebrating 30 years of IA Australia and 20 years in New Zealand, will take place in Sydney next year.