INTERVIEW | UNDERWRITING AGENCIES COUNCIL
Underwriters are more important than ever Business is booming, and for the first time in two years the Underwriting Agencies Council may hold most of its events in person. UAC leaders William Legge and Kurt Nilsen say 2022 is shaping up nicely as underwriters look to capitalise on their role as a trusted market for brokers
YOU COULD say William Legge and Kurt Nilsen are raring to go. “Member feedback is overwhelmingly positive about 2022 and what the year is going to bring,” says Nilsen, chair of the Underwriting Agencies Council. As COVID-19 restrictions finally lift, Legge, UAC’s general manager, is eagerly anticipating visiting members in person, many for the first time in two years. There are also UAC Expos planned for every state capital. “We’ve planned for nine expos this year, which is quite a considerable number – more than we normally do,” says Legge. UAC is also staging more seminars and webinars. Legge says they were “enormously popular” last year, with 600 sign-ups for the first one. The seminars will be hybrid events, so simultaneously in-person and via video conferencing. “We’re going to do hybrids because I think the market likes these to get the information, because it’s not always easy to come into the CBDs,” says Legge. The move to hybrid accommodates the flexible work arrangements of many
members, as well as the possibility of more pandemic restrictions. Whatever is ahead in 2022, both Nilsen and Legge are confident that they have a punchy program that will bring together underwriting members with their broker customers. That’s not to say 2021 was a flop – far
increased last year partly because these industry professionals were unable to attend their own offices and were eager for ways to engage. Nilsen agrees. “Ironically, we probably actually got to talk more than in a nonCOVID environment,” he says.
“We want to get back to doing business; that’s the bottom line. So putting on the expos and creating training platforms – that’s absolutely vital; that’s critical” Kurt Nilsen, Underwriting Agencies Council from it. Despite the pandemic, events were staged, including seminars and webinars and some expos. “I think all up it was disappointing around the expos, but we still had a good year despite the challenges,” says Nilsen. Legge says the support UAC received from both its own members and brokers
Business is booming Legge says there’s another reason for UAC’s surprisingly successful 2021: “Business is booming”. The UAC general manager says this growth has defied the pandemic restrictions that severely impacted other parts of Australia’s economy.
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