Profile
“My strongest professional quality is my ability to build trust and long-term relationships, whether with clients, colleagues, or stakeholders”
Danny Ibrahim,
KeyRate Mortgage
Claire Burke is a technical strata insurance specialist with nearly 15 years of industry experience and is an Associate Member of ANZIIF.
Since beginning her career with CHU in 2011, Claire has developed a passion for the complex nature and critical importance of insurance within strata communities. Over the years, she has built deep technical expertise across all aspects of strata-titled property insurance and is particularly recognised for carving a niche with understanding complex and high-risk properties, including those affected by building defects and combustible cladding. She has since established herself as a trusted specialist in specialty risk underwriting within CHU and the broader strata insurance industry, and is affectionately known as the Queen of Defects.
Claire is currently a Senior Specialty Risk Underwriter within CHU’s National Specialty Risk Team, where she focuses in delivering innovative insurance solutions for technically challenging risks. She is also a dedicated mentor and educator, actively supporting underwriters, brokers, and strata managers, and contributing to industry knowledge through panels, forums, and presentations.
Beyond her technical expertise, Claire is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within CHU and the broader insurance industry. She played a key role in CHU’s award-winning submission for Excellence in Workplace Diversity & Inclusion at the 2019 ANZIIF Awards and has continued this advocacy as a panelist at the 2023 ANZIIF Diversity & Inclusion Seminar. In 2024, she joined the InsurePride Australia committee, to help advocate and raise awareness for more inclusion within the workplace, further extending her impact in supporting the LGBTQIA+ community across the industry.
Her contributions have been widely recognised, including winning the 2023 ANZIIF Making a Difference Award (Underwriting), winning the inaugural Woman of Distinction Award at the 2024 Insurance Business Awards (and is a 2026 Excellence Awardee for this category), named in the 2024 Insurance Business Elite Women in Insurance list and named in both the 2025 Insurance Business Global 100 & Hot List. She was also a finalist for the 2024 ANZIIF Allianz Donna Walker Award for Inspiring Leadership.
Level 33, 101 Miller Street, North Sydney, NSW, 2060
1300 361 263
info@chu.com.au
linkedin.com/in/claire-burke-266b33140
chu.com.au
Claire Burke
Senior Specialty Risk Underwriter CHU Underwriting Agencies
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Bio
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Profile
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Bio
Milestones
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Bio
Milestones
“I’ve always believed that if you love what you do, you’ll never settle, and that attitude has guided every decision I’ve made”
Danny Ibrahim,
KeyRate Mortgage
2011-2015
2018
2020-2021
2022-2024
2025
Commenced as Customer Service Consultant at CHU in the NSW/ACT branch in 2011
Became an Underwriter in 2013 and promoted to Underwriting Team Leader in 2015
2011-2015
Promoted to Underwriting Account Manager, NSW/ACT (a newly created hybrid BDM/Underwriter role) and named in the 2018 Insurance Business Young Guns List
2018
Won the Excellence Award in the 2020 Insurance Business Awards for Underwriting Agency BDM of the Year
Promoted to Underwriting Manager NSW/ACT, CHU’s largest underwriting business unit in 2021
2020-2021
Promoted to newly created role of Manager, National Specialty Risk Team, managing CHU’s most complex risks in 2022
Panellist at the 2023 ANZIIF Diversity & Inclusion Seminar
Won the 2023 ANZIIF Making a Difference Award: Underwriting category
Named in the 2024 Insurance Business Elite Women in Insurance
Won the inaugural Woman of Distinction Award at the 2024 Insurance Business Awards
Finalist in the 2024 ANZIIF Allianz Donna Walker Award: Inspiring Leadership
In 2024, moved to a Senior Specialty Risk Underwriter position to dedicate more time to her passion for learning and development for internal and external stakeholders
2022-2024
Named in the 2025 Insurance Business Global 100 and in the 2025 Insurance Business Hot List
2025
Milestones
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
As a founding member of WOW! (Women. Opportunity. Winning.), an employee resource group created for all women of Ryan Specialty, Phillips Topping has long championed for women in the industry.
“It’s very important to set an example and to not only inspire but mentor other females,” she adds.
In addition to her sharp marketing eye, the key to Phillips Topping’s success lies in her high-energy approach and positive attitude.
“As the leader of a team, it’s important to motivate and encourage your team members. People work very hard and do their best and it’s important to recognize these efforts. For my career overall, my attitude has been one of curiosity. The more you can learn, the better you’ll understand the business, and then the deeper your knowledge will become, making you a better team member.”
Chief underwriting officer of executive risk at Chubb
President of financial insurance solutions at Kemper
Chief underwriting officer at Axis Capital
CEO of global Insurance at Endurance
CEO of global Insurance at Sompo International
A significant part of his focus today is staying ahead of regulatory change while maintaining a seamless client experience. He tracks updates from regulators and lenders closely and works with his teams to adjust systems as needed.
“My approach to my role and my career has always been rooted in passion, focus, and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” he says. “I’ve never been driven solely by profit or business metrics. I believe in hiring great talent, trusting them, and pushing boundaries because innovation doesn’t come from playing it safe.”
His experience isn’t limited to Canada. Ibrahim has worked in the US and UAE, which shaped his global perspective and comfort with adapting to different markets. He thrives on risk, viewing setbacks as stepping stones to progress.
“I’ve always believed that if you love what you do, you’ll never settle, and that attitude has guided every decision I’ve made,” he adds.
That outlook continues to guide his work and reflects his broader goal of helping move the industry forward. Through his brokerage, lending company, and legal services, Ibrahim is focused on creating long-term value for his clients, his teams, and others working in the field.