Headquarters:
Level 7/321, Kent St, Sydney, NSW 2000
Year founded:
2007
Number of employees:
74
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 e-Business Manager
Leadership
Tony Wheatley brings more than 35 years of insurance industry experience spanning underwriting, claims, reinsurance and portfolio management. Over the course of his career, he has developed deep expertise in professional indemnity, directors and officers and medical malpractice insurance, progressing through a range of underwriting and leadership roles.
Since joining W. R. Berkley Corporation in 2012, Wheatley has built a strong reputation for leading insurance businesses, underwriting agencies and complex insurance and reinsurance portfolios. As CEO, he is focused on creating a culture where empowered local underwriters deliver practical solutions, responsive service and long-term value for brokers and clients alike.
Chief Executive Officer
Tony Wheatley
Matthew McPhee has more than 30 years of experience across casualty insurance lines, including professional indemnity, medical liability, directors and officers and general liability. His career has included senior roles with international insurance brokers and underwriters in both Australia and London.
Known for his practical approach and strong broker relationships, McPhee is committed to delivering clear advice, reliable service and tailored insurance solutions for clients and partners. He holds a commerce degree, is a fellow of ANZIIF and was previously a member of NIBA during his time as an insurance broker.
National Underwriting Manager
Matthew McPhee
Kirsty Owens has more than 20 years of experience in professional indemnity, directors and officers and public liability insurance. Throughout her career, she has held senior underwriting and brokerage roles across Australia and London, giving her broad insight into the evolving needs of brokers and clients.
Before stepping into her current role, Owens served as state manager for South Australia, where she led a high-performing underwriting team focused on delivering responsive and effective insurance solutions. As national head of e-business, she now drives the strategic growth of Berkley Insurance Australia’s digital distribution channels, combining industry expertise with a strong focus on innovation and service.
National e-Business Manager
Kirsty Owens
Gareth Edwards
National Head of Claims
Gareth Edwards leads the claims division at Berkley Insurance Australia, bringing more than two decades of experience across underwriting agencies, brokerages and insurance companies. Since beginning his career in 2001, he has worked with a diverse range of clients – from SMEs and large corporates to government organisations – across first-party, third-party and statutory insurance lines.
In liability claims, Edwards is an experienced litigator who has managed and defended matters across state and federal court systems. His legal and insurance background gives him a well-rounded perspective on claims management and client service, helping ensure practical outcomes during complex situations. He holds a diploma in financial services through ANZIIF, along with degrees in both business and law.
National Head of Claims
Gareth Edwards
Paul Bleakley
National Partner Solutions Manager
Paul Bleakley brings more than 25 years of experience across professional indemnity, directors and officers and public liability insurance. Having worked with both international underwriters and global insurance brokers in Australia, he has developed a strong understanding of the partnership-driven nature of the industry.
As national partner solutions manager, Bleakley focuses on building trusted, long-term relationships with coverholders and business partners. He is passionate about creating collaborative and sustainable portfolios that support mutual growth and success. He holds both an MBA and a commerce degree.
National Partner Solutions 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
“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
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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