2017 Hot List Recipient

2020 Hot List Recipient

2021 CEO of the Year

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Insurance Advisernet founded in Australia by Ian Carr, pioneering the authorised representative broking model

1996

Three decades of trust at Insurance Advisernet

When Ian Carr found himself unexpectedly out of work in 1995, he could have looked for another job. Instead, he looked at what was happening in the financial planning sector and saw an opportunity to do something bigger: create what is widely believed to have been the first authorised representative (AR) model for insurance brokers in Australia. As founder and chairman of Insurance Advisernet, Carr had a vision that went beyond launching a new company; he set out to pioneer an entirely new business model that would reshape the insurance broking industry across Australia and New Zealand. Borrowing from what was happening in the financial planning space in terms of authorised representatives at the time, Carr adapted the model to insurance. What began with just 12 authorised representatives has now

grown into a network of over 275 insurance advice practices across both countries, managing more than $1.9 billion in invoiced premiums and serving nearly 140,000 clients. The foundation of Carr’s model was straightforward but powerful – that advisers should always be front and centre for clients. “The premise then and still today is that Insurance Advisernet holds the licence and provides all the back-office support to enable professionally qualified insurance advisers to focus on their clients,” says Shaun Standfield, managing director of Insurance Advisernet Australia and New Zealand.

For Standfield, the formula is simple: “Insurance Advisernet exceeds our customers’ expectations through a balance of great people with great technology to give great advice.” The numbers tell part of the story. The network now manages nearly 300,000 policies across Australia and New Zealand, with over 1,400 staff supporting the business. But for Carr, the real measure of success goes deeper. “I would have never imagined we would now have 215 advice practices here in Australia placing over $1.5 billion in invoiced premium,” he reflects. “What’s more pleasing is the fact we have been able to assist many people to achieve great outcomes for themselves and their families, with many ARs having been with the group for more than 20 years.”

In 2015, Insurance Advisernet launched the IA Foundation, an initiative that’s become an unexpected source of pride for the organisation. The foundation now distributes more than $600,000 annually to charities, many of them in the local areas of AR practices and nominated by the authorised representatives themselves. “Having our ARs, staff and industry partners get behind the foundation has been an unexpected highlight,” Carr says. The initiative reflects the network’s commitment to giving back to communities right across Australia. The foundation represents just one aspect of how Insurance Advisernet has maintained what Standfield describes as a “family culture”, even as it has scaled. This culture extends to how the network approaches compliance and operational excellence.

The trust factor underpins the network’s entire approach. Statistics from the Australian Financial Complaints Authority support this focus: complaints against insurance intermediaries consistently make up less than 3% of complaints across all general insurers. The data suggests that insurance professionals take the time to explain the risks businesses face and ensure the right policies are in place. It’s all very well to place your insurance using AI tools, but when a claim occurs, having an adviser in your corner is priceless.

Spotlight

From the beginning, Insurance Advisernet distinguished itself from what Standfield calls “licence for hire” operations. Over three decades, the network has continually expanded its service offerings. Today, authorised representatives can access equity assistance, succession planning, a full suite of marketing services, and business intelligence tools. “Ultimately, you can sum up our role as existing to protect, enhance and grow our ARs,” Standfield explains. “Their success drives Insurance Advisernet’s success. It’s proven to be an excellent symbiotic model that has gone from strength to strength over the last 30 years.”

Insurance Advisernet is one of the largest and most respected general insurance advice networks in Australia and New Zealand, supporting over 275 practices across 150-plus locations. Founded in 1996, our mission has always been to deliver trusted, high-quality risk management advice. Guided by our pillars of Active Advice, Tailored Choice and Real Value, we’re committed to supporting clients and communities alike. Through the Insurance Advisernet Foundation, we proudly support grassroots organisations and charities, helping to create lasting social impact across both countries.

Company Profile

1,400+

Employees

~140,000

Clients

296,000

Policies written in 2025

275+

Authorised insurance advice practices in Australia and New Zealand

$1.9bn+

Gross written premiums in 2025

Bio

Spotlight

Milestones

Company Profile

Years in the industry

35+

Tenure IN current position

10 years+

Based in

Sydney

Shaun Standfield

Managing director at Insurance Advisernet

How a job loss and a borrowed idea transformed insurance broking across Australia and New Zealand

Read on

“Ultimately, you can sum up our role as existing to protect, enhance and grow our ARs. Their success drives Insurance Advisernet’s success”

Shaun Standfield, Insurance Advisernet

Milestones

2011

2012

2015

2016

2019

2021