Headquarters:
Level 3, 4-6 Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Year founded:
2015
Number of employees:
65
Phone:
1300 799 562
Email:
info@emergenceinsurance.com.au
Website:
emergenceinsurance.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/emergenceinsurance
“We prioritise embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative problem solving and continuous improvement to enhance our premium funding solutions and provide exceptional value to our clients”
Troy Filipcevic
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Colin Pausey
Chief Operating Officer
Jeff Gonlin
Chief Underwriting Officer
Leadership
Troy Filipcevic is the CEO and founder of Emergence, an underwriting agency dedicated to delivering innovative cyber insurance solutions. His mission at Emergence is to offer comprehensive cyber protection through a combination of extensive coverage, real-time risk management services, 24/7 in-house incident response and cyber advisory services.
Before founding Emergence, Filipcevic held several executive roles at Suncorp, where he was responsible for strategic functions, partnering, operational excellence and technology business strategy. He was also a consultant at Deloitte focused on strategy and innovation. His experience in improving business performance and designing technology strategies laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial venture.
From its inception, Emergence was focused on cyber insurance, recognising the increasing importance of cyber threats and developing specialised expertise in this area. Under Filipcevic’s leadership, Emergence has transformed the cyber insurance market, offering smarter solutions and setting new standards for cyber risk management.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Troy Filipcevic
With more than 40 years of extensive experience in the realms of law, insurance and management, Colin Pausey has worn many hats. He successfully managed underwriting agencies during his tenures in various in-house roles, and he has also provided expert guidance to insurers and underwriting agencies during his career as a lawyer in private practice.
Pausey is an insurance law specialist. Before his stint at Emergence, he established and managed the cyber insurance practice at a major national law firm. His involvement with Emergence dates back to the first days of the company. He was the one who crafted the very first Emergence cyber insurance policy and handled claims on behalf of the company. In 2021, Pausey made the strategic decision to formally join the Emergence team, transitioning from his legal career to a key role within the company.
Chief Operating Officer
Colin Pausey
Jeff Gonlin began his insurance career in 1980 in the US, underwriting a full spectrum of casualty business. After gaining extensive experience internationally, he sought a fresh and fun opportunity. He joined Emergence in 2016, drawn by the dynamic field of cyber insurance and Emergence’s innovative approach.
As the chief underwriting officer at Emergence, Gonlin’s mission is to assess and manage cyber risks, shaping and growing the organisation while navigating the dynamic risk landscape. He is leaving his “fingerprints” on the products Emergence is developing, playing a crucial role in achieving Emergence’s vision and ensuring the company’s ongoing success in the cyber insurance sector.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Jeff Gonlin
BRETT BASTOW, IQUMULATE PREMIUM FUNDINGs
Leadership
Leadership
Katrina Hickson
Head of Distribution
Katrina Hickson brings nearly two decades of experience to the insurance industry. As the current head of distribution at Emergence Insurance, she leverages her strategic insights and ability to foster strong broker relationships to support the business development team, driving business growth and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Hickson’s career also includes a notable tenure as the senior manager of specialist operations at BOQ, where she spearheaded broker- and client-focused projects aimed at improving systems and processes, ensuring high-quality service delivery and optimising operational and sales efficiency.
Head of Distribution
Katrina Hickson
Blake Baxter
Head of Claims and Incident Response
Blake Baxter is an insurance professional with over a decade of experience and a broad background in insurance, accounting and the legal profession. He is a cyber insurance specialist with extensive experience building an incident response and claims handling function. He has worked in the financial lines claims, including professional indemnity, D&O and cyber sectors. He has also worked in corporate insolvency, where his responsibilities have included managing a broad financial lines claims portfolio, liaising with defence counsel and brokers, refining company claims handling policy and managing large and complex losses.
Baxter joined Emergence in March 2020 to build an in-house claims handling and incident response function. Having an in-house incident response gives Emergence a competitive advantage, but more importantly, it provides a better response to insureds, enabling them to get back to their best lives faster.
Head of Claims and Incident Response
Blake Baxter
Stevens & Associates Lawyers is a leading and trusted employment law firm based in Sydney known for delivering high-quality legal expertise in the area of employment law and industrial relations across Australia, alongside a proven track record of effectively and swiftly resolving a variety of workplace law issues.
In the past year, the firm’s growth has been notable. It has:
• experienced a 213% growth in the number of client matters, increasing from 149 client matters in the 2022 financial year to 390 client matters in the 2023 financial year
• improved its online visibility, leading to over 50 online enquiries each month and a conversion rate of client leads of up to 40%
• significantly expanded the breadth and type of matters that it advises on day to day, which has increased the firm’s skillsets, diversity and resilience
• expanded its community outreach by collaborating with local Sydney venues for client seminars and continuing active participation in a Sydney small/family business group
Stevens & Associates Lawyers has adapted to digital trends by implementing an effective strategy with SEO and web design, resulting in a structural shift that has seen increased representation of employees where the firm previously mainly advised employers.
The firm’s recognition as a “Fast Firm” attests to its momentum in the employment law space.
“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started”
Wayne Tower,
IQumulate Premium Funding
Nikil Deo
Head of Technology
Kane Bueler
Director of IT
Darren Watt
Commercial Director
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Nikil Deo is an experienced technology professional with over 20 years of technology and cyber experience in the financial services sector. He has been fortunate to have a career spanning the transition from mainframe computing to today’s cloud ecosystem, along with experiencing the evolution of cyber risks along the way. Deo has been fortunate to be involved in a few local firsts, including being the first APAC customer of Microsoft’s BPOS cloud offering and being part of the team that implemented the first “pay as you drive” product in Australia. He is proud to be part of the Emergence team that helps find cyber insurance solutions for the Australian market.
Head of Technology
Nikil Deo
Kane Bueler is the technological backbone of Edge. With unparalleled in-depth expertise and knowledge, he ensures the company’s digital infrastructure remains robust, secure, and innovative. His team’s proactive approach to technology empowers Edge’s team to excel in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Bueler’s dedication to creating a seamless, efficient, and continually improving tech environment reflects the company’s commitment to employee empowerment without compromising security. His IT leadership is pivotal to organizational success, ensuring that Edge continues to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital age.
Director of IT
Kane Bueler
Darren Watt is the commercial director at Stuartholme School, bringing over 20 years of experience in auditing, accounting and business management within the education sector. Since joining in May 2022, he has overseen the school’s commercial operations, including financial strategy, procurement and business services. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce, a Bachelor of Arts (General), a Graduate Certificate in Business, is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). As a key member of Stuartholme’s leadership team, Watt plays a vital role in supporting the school’s mission within the Sacred Heart network.
Commercial Director
Darren Watt
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
One culmination of these efforts has been the real-world, needs-based IQEdge solution. A one-stop online quoting tool designed for both the Australian and New Zealand markets, IQEdge delivers quotes in under 60 seconds. Plus, the solution offers quote comparison and quote versioning capabilities, enabling users to review vital historical and financial data in a single page view.
IQEdge can streamline and automate application processing, underwriting document verification and payment collection, cutting the need for manual labour and minimising processing errors. A digital “self-service” platform, IQEdge, reduces the need for customer and administrative support. Meanwhile, borrowers can access their accounts, make payments and manage their policies independently and through sales and support teams, which are always available for further assistance.
“We’ve created a quality platform that simplifies the quoting process yet amplifies the customer experience,” says Gordon. “It’s a real game changer.” IQumulate offers an online digital quoting tool to clients. The best-in-market solution enables IQumulate to tailor funding offerings to brokers that align with their prefered distribution channel.
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What does IQumulate have in mind for the future?
“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur.
“Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, creating a competitive advantage with the potential to allow IQumulate to command premium pricing or capture a larger market share.
“As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead.
“We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”
Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
Claire Watson
Product Manager
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Claire Watson
Product Manager
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
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Spokesperson,
Salesian College Chadstone
xxxxxxxxx
Spokesperson,
Salesian College Chadstone
Ivan Verescuk
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Shaun O’Brien
Head of Underwriting
Emily Walker
Head of Strata and Development
Rex Oakman
Head of Operations and Risk
Sandy Newton
Head of Underwriting
Andrew Mitchell
Manager – NSW
Michael Prokopis
Manager – Southern Region
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Jeffrey Valdivia
Manager – Commercial Strata
Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Emergence Insurance is an award-winning underwriting agency specialising in safeguarding businesses and families from the increasing risks posed by cyber and digital threats. Operating across Australia and New Zealand, it has built a reputation for delivering innovative and comprehensive solutions tailored to meet the challenges of the digital age.
Emergence is dedicated to providing clear and accessible policies designed to address the financial, commercial and reputational consequences of cyber incidents and digital threats. With expertise and simplicity, it empowers brokers to guide clients in protecting what matters most. Brokers benefit from an intuitive online portal, streamlining the quoting and binding process to secure coverage in minutes.
What sets Emergence apart is its comprehensive approach to cyber risk management. Beyond offering insurance, it provides real-time solutions through advanced risk management tools. Its trusted 24/7 in-house incident response team ensures prompt, expert handling of cyber events, helping to minimise losses and restore business operations rapidly. Additionally, insureds benefit from specialised advisory services, enabling them to prepare for and mitigate potential cyber risks effectively.
Innovation continues to drive the Emergence mission as it responds to an evolving market. Alongside its cyber insurance offerings, it has introduced IT liability insurance to address a broader industry-specific risk management need. This expansion reflects its unwavering commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats and supporting clients across various industries.
With a team of experienced and diverse professionals, Emergence combines deep industry expertise with forward-thinking strategies to deliver smarter solutions. Its customer-focused approach empowers businesses to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world, making it a trusted partner in cyber protection across the region.
IQumulate invests in education and people, which are vital to attracting new business and talent to the company.
“We have long tenures for several of our key staff, including some in leadership positions, and this sound working knowledge of our business, practices and industry provides great insights and a wealth of experience to offer our clients,” says Bastow. “Our new head of sales, Graeme Gordon, formerly manager for New Zealand, joins us in Australia to drive our sales strategy and lead our team to successful outcomes for our clients and our business. We look forward to great things ahead with Graeme as he continues to be active and present in the New Zealand market as well as building sound working relationships and new connections in Australia.”
Clients can also expect a lot from working with IQumulate.
“Through active engagement with our trusted broker network, IQumulate provides relevant information, education and training content,” says Graeme Gordon, head of sales. “Our clients can expect IQumulate to support their business in several ways, providing an understanding of what premium funding solutions are available and how IQumulate can spread the cost of insurance and help borrowers get the right level of insurance cover to free up their cash flow for other expenses or business growth opportunities. Premium funding is often considered a tool for those who simply cannot afford to pay their premiums in full. While this is certainly a significant driver for many, it is also successfully used by profitable companies who use premium funding to manage their cash flows more wisely or better manage their liquidity.”
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Financial lines
Product liability
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Diversity, equity and inclusion
Innovation
Reputation
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Overall
Under the leadership of Principal Mark Ashmore and the College Board, Salesian College Chadstone fosters a positive, professional and growth-oriented environment. With a focus on continuous improvement, the college has achieved record academic results, rising ATAR scores, stronger attendance and national recognition in child safety, including the 2025 Victorian Protecting Children Award.
The college celebrated the outstanding achievement of Year 12 student Thomas Maguire-Nguyen, who was named Overall VCE Leader of the Year by the Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Nina Taylor MP. The college has also proudly led the way in innovation through its partnership with Uniform Group and designer Peter Morrissey to launch Australia’s first bespoke, designer-curated school uniform collection, coinciding with the opening of the new Year 7 and 8 Precinct campus in 2026.
Salesian College Chadstone’s extra-curricular program develops students’ talents and passions in team environments. Key activities include house sports, debating, peer mentoring, Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC) sports across 55 teams, instrumental music and public speaking.
The college collaborates with its partner Girls Schools Sacred Heart Girls College and Avila College for musical productions, leadership experiences and community events, providing the opportunity for cross-school teamwork and connection, reinforcing the college’s commitment to holistic development, leadership and community engagement.
Technology is another priority and underpins the college’s strategy of delivering a contemporary education. Over the last 12 months, the college has introduced a series of initiatives:
ICT Future Directions committee – exploring the use of technology for communication, data analysis and learning
Risk Wizard – risk management, incident tracking and compliance monitoring software
Employee Connect – HR and onboarding software
Alumnly – integrated cloud-based Alumni Networking and Management Platform for Alumni of Salesian College Chadstone
Vivi – whole school wireless mirroring system for efficient classroom displays
Intellischools – data platform for student results, attendance and security, aggregating student data for school improvement
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) – system for telephone enquiry management
Committed to diversity and inclusion, the college’s Learning Diversity team ensures the varied needs of students are met in an environment where every student can thrive.
Salesian College Chadstone is a place where academic excellence, personal growth and community spirit converge, preparing young men for an interconnected world while staying true to its Salesian values.
https://emergenceinsurance.com/