Headquarters:

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide

Year founded:

2007

Number of employees:

Phone:

1300 800 772

Email:

info@berkleyinaus.com.au

Website:

berkleyinaus.com.au

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/berkley-insurance-australia

“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”

Mark Maher, Jencap

BERKLEY INSURANCE AUSTRALIA

Tony Wheatley

Chief Executive Officer

Matthew McPhee

National Underwriting Manager

Kirsty Owens

National Portfolio Manager, SCTP and State Manager, SA

Leadership

Tony Wheatley has over 35 years of experience in underwriting, claims, reinsurance and portfolio management. His expertise lies largely in the PI, D&O and medical malpractice classes, having worked his way through various underwriting positions before moving into management roles. Joining WR Berkley in July 2012, his background includes a broad expertise in managing insurance companies, managing general agents, and insurance and reinsurance portfolios. Wheatley and the management team at BIA are committed to ensuring that the best possible products and services are provided to brokers through local underwriters, who are empowered to make decisions with the expectation that service, in the broadest sense, is at the core of the company’s operations.

Chief Executive Officer

Tony Wheatley

Matthew McPhee has over 30 years of experience in the casualty classes (PI, ML, D&O and GL), having worked for international insurance brokers and underwriters in Australia and London. He has a reputation for ensuring that insurance brokers and their clients receive excellent service and professional advice in his chosen specialty. McPhee has a commerce degree, is a fellow of the Australian Insurance Institute, and was a member of NIBA when he was a broker.

National Underwriting Manager

Matthew McPhee

Kirsty Owens has over 20 years of experience in PI, D&O and PL, having worked for both underwriters and insurance brokers in Australia and London. She is the state manager for South Australia, leading a team of accomplished underwriters who serve the insurance needs of Adelaide brokers and insureds. In her role as National Portfolio Manager, SCTP, she is responsible for managing the overall portfolio aspects of business underwritten through the SCTP. Owens has been recognised on the Insurance Business’ Elite Women in Insurance list for 2021 and 2022 and on Insurance Business’ Hot List for 2023. She has a business degree and a master’s degree and is a fellow of the Australian Insurance Institute.

National Portfolio Manager, SCTP and State Manager, SA

Kirsty Owens

“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”

Mark Maher, Jencap

“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”

John Jennings, Jencap

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“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”

John Jennings, Jencap

“Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most”

Mark Maher, Jencap

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Barbara Stenning

National Head of Claims

Barbara Stenning leads the team as the national head of claims for BIA. Her extensive experience in claims management, with a particular focus on the defence of complex litigated and non-litigated claims in all specialty lines of business underwritten by BIA, makes her one of the insurance industry’s most experienced claims professionals. Stenning has held various high-profile leadership roles across the insurance industry over a 20-year period. Most notably, she was the CEO of a leading American insurer in Australia. She combines these experiences with qualifications in law and health. Stenning’s unique profile brings to her clients a highly developed understanding of a wide and complex range of issues.

National Head of Claims

Barbara Stenning

Paul Bleakley

National Facilities Manager

Paul Bleakley has more than 25 years of experience in PI, D&O and PL, having worked for both international underwriters and international insurance brokers in Australia. In his role as BIA’s national facilities manager, Bleakley has established a culture based on strong relationships with coverholders, ensuring that mutually beneficial business portfolios are developed and supported. He has a commerce degree and an MBA.

National Facilities Manager

Paul Bleakley

Berkley Insurance Australia (BIA) is a world class general insurer providing customised solutions across a range of specialist product lines. As a company, our motto is local teams supporting local brokers, ensuring fast responses to requests for quotes, risk submissions and new claims. Winning the NIBA General Insurer of the Year in 2020, Insurance Advisernet Insurer of the Year 2022 and Insurer of the Year for the Insurance Business Brokers on Insurers Awards in 2021, 2022 and 2023 we know that our personalised service is highly valued by our network of clients. When placing a risk with BIA, our Brokers expect that their client’s will get the best treatment by our dedicated Underwriters and Claims Managers. Specialists in their product lines, these professionals have extensive knowledge of the local insurance market. By working together, our Underwriters can provide Brokers with solutions to cover their clients against risks that arise from operating a business. Exceptional quality from an A+ rated company Belonging to the global W. R. Berkley Corporation, Berkley Insurance Australia has a rich history of excellence. Being a prominent member of the global insurance community, Berkley has offices in the US, UK, Continental Europe, South America, Canada, Mexico, Scandinavia, and the Asia-Pacific region. W. R. Berkley Corporation member insurance companies share the distinction of being rated A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor’s and A+ (Superior) in Financial Strength by the A.M. Best Company. Fast and attentive service We believe that making ourselves accessible to clients is one of the most important factors in our continuing success. Whenever a broker has a matter they wish to discuss, they are welcome to phone anyone in our Underwriting Team and get an answer immediately. Always being there for our Brokers means they can provide immediate support to their clients. Embracing cutting-edge technology with the BindIT platform, we’ve achieved a more streamlined approach to underwriting for our clients. Now our Brokers can obtain quick quotes, bind policies, and download documents all through this secure platform.

“Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position”

John Jennings, Jencap

Kin Lee-Yow

Chief Information Officer

Catherine Sieniewicz

AVP of Travel and Retail

Rhonda English

Chief Marketing Officer

Evelyn Peng

Chief Risk Officer

Kin Lee-Yow’s combination of banking, payment, retail, e-commerce, and insurance technology experience has enabled him to contribute to the success and leadership positions in three large organizations in Canada, culminating in his current role as the CIO of CM Club Group. Kin is a graduate of Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Waterloo. He also holds a Kellogg-Schulich master’s degree in Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Chief Information Officer

Kin Lee-Yow

With decades of experience, Catherine Sieniewicz has always been devoted to growing within the travel and retail industry. Catherine became director of retail and travel at CCG in May 2019. In February 2020, she was promoted to AVP of travel and retail where she continues to guide all her decisions by what she has learned in member, associate, and business experience.

AVP of Travel and Retail

Catherine Sieniewicz

Rhonda English is a CPA, CMA and obtained her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and her MBA from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario. Rhonda joined CM Club Group as vice president of insurance, then took the role of vice president corporate marketing, overseeing business insights & analytics and the acquisition and retention of the CM lines of business. In 2016, she was named chief marketing officer, taking on additional responsibility for travel and membership product, digital, and the government & community relations advocacy team.

Chief Marketing Officer

Rhonda English

Evelyn Peng started at CCG in 2017 as director of risk management and now serves as the chief risk officer for the organization. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Waterloo. She has extensive experience with enterprise risk management, specializing in operational risk management, and financial risk management. Evelyn is a Chartered Accountant and a Financial Risk Manager.

Chief Risk Officer

Evelyn Peng

Chief Risk Officer

Evelyn Peng

Chief Risk Officer

Evelyn Peng

“Despite the challenging claims environment, QBE’s coverage and risk appetite have remained consistent. Brokers and customers know and understand our risk appetite and the cover we offer, providing them with certainty for the future,” says Erica Kofie, head of cyber proposition. “We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions.” Kofie adds, “Through 2022, QBE successfully delivered significant growth in the cyber sector, reflecting the depth and strength of our team. We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations.”

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Earlene Huntley

Group Chief Financial Officer

Melissa Abramowitz

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer

Melissa Abramowitz has been practicing corporate and commercial law for over 20 years, with an emphasis on the financial services industry. She joined CAA Club Group in 2014, and currently serves as the General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer of CCG and its affiliated companies. At CCG, Melissa provides strategic legal advice on a broad range of matters including corporate governance, licensing, distribution, marketing and advertising, commercial contracts and regulatory compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.CL) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from McGill University and a Certificate in Regulatory Compliance for Financial Institutions from Osgoode.

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer

Melissa Abramowitz

Earlene Huntley joined CAA in 2014 as director, tax and was promoted to AVP, tax in 2016, and to her current role as group chief financial officer of CAA Club Group in February 2017. In her role, she is responsible for all aspects of finance. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies where she earned her BSc. Accounting (Hons) and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the United Kingdom.

Group Chief Financial Officer

Earlene Huntley

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Group Chief Financial Officer

Earlene Huntley

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer

Melissa Abramowitz

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer

Earlene Huntley

Group Chief Financial Officer

Earlene Huntley

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer

Melissa Abramowitz

Management liability Arch Insurance’s management liability team is dedicated to addressing the needs of our partners. Our underwriting approach is to recognize and address exposures particular to each insured and offer creative solutions for our customers including complex risk and hard-to-place industries. Know more here: insurance.archgroup.com/north-america/canada/offering/management-liability Cyber Arch Insurance’s experienced underwriting team takes a forward-looking approach to writing network security, privacy and media liability for mid-to-large accounts. Professional liability Arch Insurance’s professional liability team is positioned to offer professional liability programs for financial service firms.

“Our thriving agency partnerships, long-tenured carrier relationships and strong leadership team are proof of Jencap’s values-centric work environment,” says Mark Maher, president of Jencap. “Everything we do as an organization is to serve our agents in a meaningful way, which is to provide industry-leading insurance solutions when they need them the most. Our brokers internally work very collaboratively. We check our egos at the door and work together to set our agency partners and their clients up for success by leveraging each other’s geographic expertise, carrier relationships and contracts, and technical expertise,” he adds. Jencap’s areas of specialization include environmental; workers’ compensation; property; construction; habitational/real estate; transportation/garage; cannabis; cyber, management, and professional liability; manufacturing; healthcare; and many more.

Jencap is committed to employing innovative enterprise-wide technology solutions that support their underwriters in making more timely and effective risk decisions. As such, they launched Two Sigma Insurance Quantified’s SubmissionIQ in 2022. SubmissionIQ equips their underwriters with the data they need to make smart and strategic risk assessments, further supporting them in implementing best-in-class business processes. The common thread woven through Jencap’s success is its people, as they have the best brokers and support staff in the industry. Fun fact: 20% of Jencap’s staff are employee equity holders. They don’t just say that their team members “own it” – they really do! This adds a unique layer of commitment and dedication to their job and the company’s success. “Our team has successfully executed on an aggressive acquisition and integration plan over the last few years, which has contributed greatly to our strong market position. Each acquisition has provided geographic expansion, new market access, exclusive programs and niche specialization,” says Jencap Chief Executive Officer John Jennings. To date, they have acquired 19 companies and rebranded 10 of those companies to Jencap. Click here for more information on Jencap.

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Broker communication, training and development

Insurer of the Year

Overall service level

Premium stability

Product innovation

Turnaround time – claims

Turnaround time – new business

BDM support

Medal

Turnaround time – new business

Turnaround time – claims

Product innovation

Premium stability

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

Insurer of the Year

Medals

Turnaround time – new business

Turnaround time – claims

Product innovation

Premium stability

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

Insurer of the Year