"Your footprint should be bigger than yourself."Influenced by a grandmother and father, both of whom devoted their time to public service, Katrina Shanks has established a huge presence public presence in New Zealand and, as a recent migrant to Australia, hopes to continue that work in her new role as CEO of ANZIIF.

"I found it (Antarctica) the most incredible place to be (for work). The scenery, the shades and the colours and the vastness of where you change your whole mindset"Complex, interesting, major losses helped pave the way to become the loss adjuster and person Nick is today. In his own words, “When I left the farm, I never ever imagined I would be doing what I now do or become what I am now.” With experiences in Antarctica, Exmouth and the Pilbara,  when Nick was forced to leave his farming life, he never ever imagined he would be doing what he now does or become what he is today.

"I always wanted to be better for myself. It was never that I wanted to be better than somebody else."Migrating from Ireland with a background in banking meant that Shaneika had to take a step back and start from the beginning in the insurance world. Her thirst for learning has seen her escalate her career in a very short time frame, and in 2023, Insurance Business honoured her with the Rising Star Award.

We will release the first podcast of our 2023 season in the coming weeks. This short episode outlines what's new in Season 2 of 'Business Made Personal'.How to contact Mark Silveira:Email mark@bmppodcast.com.au  Phone +61 (0) 409235975

"You have to be willing to fail …..and willing to give the effort and the emotional investment that it takes."Living proof that the insurance sector welcomes people from a variety of backgrounds, AFL Geelong Cats footballer, Sam Menegola is just such an individual. In this episode, Sam shares how his AFL career has helped to shape his work as an Account Executive at International Brokerage Willis Towers Watson (WTW). An inspirational young entrant, Sam explains what the insurance industry is giving him in return.

"I went through a stage where I thought I had to be tough and I thought I had to be different to who I was to fit in. I was trying to change the stripes that I had been born with and failed miserably."There isn’t much that can take Jessica Jenkins off her career trajectory as you will gather from her views on work and client service in this podcast. There is one thing that has caused her to pause and reflect, however, and that was the birth of her daughter. Jessica reflects on and shares her views on combining a career and family life.  Women’s Wellness Hour of Power Jessica Jenkins and Elise Huyn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-jenkins-41423375/

"I probably aligned it (Insurance) with Accounting…but what I noticed really quickly when I went to some Young Insurance Professional Groups is WOW… There are so many opportunities for young people in our industry and it’s a hidden gem."Coming from an ‘insurance family’ Kathryn McClunie did not rely on their credibility to forge her own path. An entrepreneur by nature, she started an online millinery business with her sister and sold it just pre-COVID to focus on other business-related goals. In this episode, Kathryn shares with us why her involvement in insurance (other than her family) is her passion and her vocation.

"Sometimes it easy to decide where you want to go by ruling out what you know you don’t want to do".Having researched the insurance sector before entering it at a more advanced age than many, Matt Crewe still pinches himself every time he is exposed to the multi-faceted opportunities and career paths he is presented with. Having recently left to assist his father in his business, Matt credits the experience he gained working in insurance from the ground up for the depth and width of his capabilities as a business person and a leader.

“Push yourself to learn more, do that extra bit of research, peel the covers back and get excited about what it is you’re doing. That motivation can fuel you!”A firm advocate for self-motivation, Shane Brady started his own insurance broking business, having left a secure well paid role he had occupied for 11 years and at a time when his wife had their first child who was a few months old and during the global pandemic. Would he do it again? It's an emphatic yes from him.His mantra, “Do extra, do more and get a good team of people around you”, enables him to do what he is passionate about - assisting his clients when they are at their most vulnerable.

"I remember early in my career, and I was dissuaded from taking on a front-line role because it involved working in the ‘rough and tough world of the (male) dealers’. "Forgoing her initial dreams of being an airline Pilot, her degree in electrical engineering has assisted Shilpa Strong in taking on high-profile global roles with several first-tier global insurers and transforming companies - specifically in technology and automation. “Having been in different environments has enabled me to tell myself I can be anywhere and make it work,” she says. That said, Shilpa also believes that change is very difficult for most people and the challenge is that businesses focus on people if they are to succeed in implementing lasting change.

"It was a big challenge for me as a young person to go slowly."Diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship and listening to the ‘oldies’ are some interesting topics we cover with Kate Fairley - owner and insurance broker at Macedon Ranges Insurance.Her remarkable tenacity and superior client focus come from her belief: "If we’re not the cheapest, if we're not the most suitable option for the client at the time, that’s fine. It’s more about the relationship to me and making sure the client is well looked after.”

"I found insurance incredibly fulfilling in a way that I suppose hadn’t resonated with me in my previous marketing role."Listening to her views as a younger person entering the insurance space on many aspects, including the challenges of COVID, the expectations of the younger generation from their employers, the ‘super power’ of being a young woman in the industry and what we can do to provide greater client value, you get the feeling that the insurance industry is in great hands if the new generation is anything like Madison Seymour.

"Everyone ‘falls’ in it (insurance), but no one leaves, so we must be doing something right."Changing the perception of insurance brokers and the industry as a whole is the underlying aim that is the lynchpin of Kirsty Macleod’s professional ambition. She gauges how well she is doing this by the number of clients that subsequently become friends and the satisfaction she gets in leading her team to perform at their best in their business and personal lives.

"Giving ‘time’ is one of the greatest gifts you can give someone."The evolution of the industry every eighteen months (as he sees it) is something that inspires and challenges Stephen Nguyen. Having learned the value of resilience, teamwork, and gratitude as a son of Vietnamese migrants, Stephen is a living example of the new generation of insurance people making their mark and further enhancing the financial services industry in an exceptionally positive manner.

"(My grandfather) had a really good strong work ethic, built a career, and still had time for family - I hope I can live up to that as well."Shane Moore discovered that starting a business was a lot more difficult than he thought it would be. He found it challenging to develop leads and handle the client-facing role and do both well. Added to that, challenges in business partnerships, naivety and lack of obtaining advice has taught him much since he started in 2010. He credits much of his current success to his Team and their support - not just of him, but also of each other.

"I don't think expectations have changed but I think what goes to meeting those has."Starting off as an insurance litigator gave Samantha O’Brien an interesting view into the world of insurance. Now as a corporate commercial lawyer in the insurance sector, she is of the opinion that the more you know about a sector, the better adviser and lawyer you become. Being authentic, being yourself, and understanding that that is enough are words she encourages others to take on board as they seek to develop their careers.

"For (my) family to get on to a rickety boat in the middle of the night and sail across the sea, they're doing that out of desperation and the want of something better for their children."After qualifying as a lawyer, Suzi realised on her way to the train station that she didn't want to be a Partner in a law firm. The learning, challenge and team environment provided by insurance was a powerful pull that made Suzi a happier person. Suzi’s view that insurance is an industry of people who genuinely care - they care about each other, they care about what we are trying to do for the community means she is committed to a career in insurance because in her words, “we are the promise keepers” and have a direct impact on customers lives.

"The first two years out of cricket were the most horrible times in my whole life. You have no idea what you want to do and what your purpose is (and that is challenging) in your mid-30s."Speaking of both his cricketing career and his business career, Jon Moss says “What I’m most proud of is every move that I made to better my career, the key thing had to be that I was going to an environment where I perceived that the people were better than me”. He also states that yes he had to work hard to understand the technical aspects of insurance but he is quick to add that there are a lot of fun parts to the insurance industry too and the people best suited to it are those who have developed their soft skills and relationship skills.

"It's not what happens or what you're going through. It's how you react to it (that counts)"Megan Duckworth may be a third-generation insurance person. However, her desire to carve her path is very evident in how she views her contribution to the insurance sector. Apart from her parents' work ethic, Megan credits her time in the sport of rowing as being crucial to her success. The discipline involved in rising at 4.15 am, rain or shine, training and then doing a full day before training again at night was instrumental in demonstrating to her the rewards that can be achieved.

"I don’t think there’s a role I’ve moved into that I’ve been ready for."There are a lot of fantastic people in our industry whom you can learn a lot from on a variety of topics including dealing with customers, product technicalities, or just smart business advice according to Jason Clarke.When asked the question, Jason Clarke is quick to respond “The people side is what I love. Helping people to get better, being able to get out and meet clients is the most enjoyable part of our industry.”