NIBA MENTORING PROGRAM: A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPING BROKERS

Every year, the NIBA Mentoring Program brings together seasoned industry leaders and young professionals for 12 weeks of professional support and development.

With the program commencing in August 2023, we spoke to mentors and mentees about their experience in the program, and the support it offers brokers looking to develop their careers.

Mentee Jessica

What made you decide to take part in the NIBA Mentoring Program?

I wanted to develop myself professionally and saw the NIBA Mentoring Program as a great opportunity to do so. I also thought it would be fantastic to discuss my goals with a mentor to have a better sense of direction.

My manager also said the program was extremely valuable for anyone relatively new to the industry who wanted to learn more. She recommended that I give it a go, so I decided to sign up.

What has your experience in the NIBA Mentoring Program been like?

I think NIBA was very good at matching together mentors and mentees, as Ingrid and I were a great fit!

We met up once a week for coffee every Thursday. Each week we would tackle a goal or topic I’ve picked, and she would share her extensive experience and knowledge. Her advice and guidance have helped me make decisions with more confidence. She has also introduced me to her network, which I am grateful for.

The program was 12 weeks in total. Even though the program is over, our relationship continues and I know I will carry her guidance and advice throughout my career.

Along the way, it was also very enjoyable to meet the other mentees who are at a similar stage in their careers. The program has influenced me to become even more passionate about the insurance industry.

The 2023 program will run from August to October in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA and SA. Applications for the program will open on Monday 1 May.

For further information, go to www.niba.com.au/niba-mentoring-program

Mentor Ingrid

Regional Manager, Blue Zebra Insurance

What made you decide to take part in the NIBA Mentoring Program?

I decided that I wanted to take part in the NIBA Mentoring Program as there have been so many people that have helped me over the years and I wanted to give something back to the industry that has given me so much.

What has your experience in the NIBA Mentoring Program been like?

I’ve been lucky to have some great mentees who are relatively new to the industry and excited to learn as much as they can. We often take some of the simple things for granted when training new staff and they may be unsure about things that we just assume everybody knows, such as what all the acronyms stand for i.e. ROE, LR, GWP, etc. I love that our discussions are a safe place where the mentees can ask questions with no judgement and are encouraged to work out what they like and are good at, which helps to give them more confidence. It has been such a pleasure to meet and have the opportunity to work with my newest mentee, Jessica Potter. Jess is a breath of fresh air and I am really excited to see what she does with her career. The dedication and excitement that the next generation in insurance are bringing to the industry is very refreshing and having the opportunity to support people like Jess through the NIBA Mentoring Program is a great privilege. I am also lucky enough to continue to support Jess and other previous mentees into their futures and enjoy being able to encourage and help them find their happiest work life.

Have you also personally benefited from being a mentor in the NIBA Mentoring Program?

I’ve learned a lot about myself and the NIBA Mentoring Program has made me stop and think about how I, too, do things and approach different situations.

I have a great job at Blue Zebra Insurance and the program has made me realise what I love about the work that I do. It’s not just the role you have that makes a job good or bad but the company, culture and people and when it’s good (like it is at Blue Zebra) then it makes you want to get up and do the best job that you can each day.

Mentee

LYDIA WU Principal, Marsh

What made you decide to take part in the NIBA Mentoring Program?

I have been working in insurance for about 17 years now, and in that time, we have seen so many changes that have had a huge impact on many industries, such as the technological revolution. Insurance may be a relatively conservative industry, but the world is changing. It’s important for us to learn and adapt to new things, and talk to new people and absorb new concepts.

In this ever-changing environment, I wanted to be proactive rather than reactive in learning more about the industry and getting external advice. Even though I have been in the industry for so long, I believe that learning never stops. It doesn’t matter what age you are, there are always new things to learn from different people.

What has your experience in the NIBA Mentoring Program been like, with Gemma as your mentor?

The NIBA Mentoring Program was a very memorable experience for me. My mentor Gemma was amazing – she shared her knowledge and experience with me, and she worked with me to determine my goals and helped me develop strategies to achieve them.

For example, we worked together to position my gender and cultural background as positive attributes. As I come from a different country and can speak multiple languages, we spoke about how I can use this as an advantage both in the workplace and in our industry. We also worked on updating my profile on LinkedIn and using social media as a tool to connect with the wider industry. What was most important for me was that Gemma spent the time getting to know me. We had many regular meetings, even a catch-up when she was on holiday in England. Her level of dedication was incredible.

The Mentoring Program was 12 weeks in total, but I still have a lot of learning to do and room for improvement. Gemma and I will continue to catch up regularly in the future and keep the relationship going.

My biggest learning coming out of the NIBA Mentoring Program is to be brave.

I really appreciate NIBA for providing this opportunity, because it gives many brokers, in particular juniors and new entrants, a platform to progress in the industry. It’s really encouraging for brokers to know that there is a support system out there that they can rely on.

Mentor

GEMMA DEHN Partner, Hall & Wilcox

What made you decide to take part in the NIBA Mentoring Program?

I became a partner recently in July and, having had an excellent mentor who supported me through the entire process, I wanted to give back and help others make their way in the industry. Also, in my practice as an insurance lawyer, I work closely with brokers and other industry professionals. I saw this as a great opportunity for me to hopefully learn something along the way.

What has your experience in the NIBA Mentoring Program been like?

Really valuable. It was great to see a variety of mentees in different stages of their careers getting involved in the program for different reasons.

The direction of the program is different for each mentee and my observation was that its success is really contingent on what the mentee (and mentor) wants to put in and what they want to get out. My mentee Lydia was an experienced broker who was looking for some quite specific direction and guidance in her career journey. In Lydia’s case, she was very organised and proactive and put a lot of effort into prioritising working on her goals. As a result, her progress and achievements throughout the duration of the program were very tangible.

The program was also very flexible, which meant that Lydia and I could work out a schedule that suited both of us, our work commitments and our busy lives.

Looking back, I wasn’t prepared for how invested I would become in my mentee’s progress. It was really rewarding to mentor someone who put her all into the program and see her progress and work towards achieving her goals because of her efforts.

The mentees’ presentations at the end of the program were also a highlight. Seeing the mentees present so well, despite how nervous they were, was wonderful and it was quite touching to see that the program really meant something to them.

I would highly recommend the program to mentees and mentors. My advice for mentees is to come in with an open mind, be fearless, and use the program as an opportunity to learn from the mentors and other mentees, network and also ask the questions that you may not be comfortable asking in your workplace.

Have you also personally benefited from being a mentor in the program?

I found the experience of being a mentor extremely rewarding. I look forward to staying in touch with my mentee and following her continued growth and progression.

I also learnt a lot from Lydia. Watching her journey caused me to reflect on my own goals and ambitions and I was humbled by Lydia’s patience, resilience and drive. Lydia also shared with me the influence that her cultural background has had on her career, which has made me much more aware and appreciative of different cultural experiences in the workplace and insurance industry.

The Ongoing Value For Mentors And Mentees

A MENTOR FOR LIFE

I have supported five mentees through the NIBA Mentoring Program and every now and again, I drop them a note to say that I’m here. Some mentees have written to me quite regularly asking for advice, and there are others that I sometimes catch up with.

Coming out of COVID-19, I didn’t want the mentoring relationship to end once the program finished, so I decided to organise an annual networking event for my mentees going forward.

A lot of younger people lost three years of their lives due to lockdown. With everything now done online, the connection that comes from face-to-face broking is something that many of us have lost.

Bringing everyone together is an opportunity to encourage conversations – but it’s also fun to go out, speak to people and establish new relationships.

Our profession trades on risk to get the optimal outcome for a client. Negotiating and trading on risk means that you are influencing an individual. The more time brokers and underwriters spend speaking to each other, the better the outcome is for the client.

Beyond this, you will come across situations where you may need a favour from someone in your network, and that’s where having relationships becomes invaluable.

Promoting Insurance As A Career

In addition to having my mentees network with each other, I also wanted them to spread the word about insurance broking.

I took my mentees to lunch and used the opportunity to introduce ourselves and talk about what we do, how we trade on risks and the fun part of what we do.

Being involved in promoting insurance as a career with NIBA, I want younger people to hear about broking not just from senior brokers like myself, but also from young people who are early in their careers.

Looking back at the lunch meeting, it was actually the mentees who were controlling the conversation. We talked about different aspects of their jobs, and how it differs between brokers and underwriters and across different countries.

By encouraging these conversations, I hope to inspire my mentees to talk about the benefits and offerings of the industry with their networks.

The Value For Mentors

The program isn’t just about mentees learning from senior brokers. As a mentor, I’m also learning from them.

Mentoring has been hugely rewarding in teaching me how younger brokers think and how they use technology. It has also helped me by making me revisit the concepts I learnt years ago.

Sometimes mentees don’t know what they want and as a mentor, you need to throw out ideas to help them figure out what they need to improve on. It teaches you to listen and structure open questions.

I encourage brokers who haven’t been involved to join the program. I hope to demonstrate how rewarding it is to put in just an hour a week, and to see that they can obtain something really valuable and rewarding in return.