COVER STORY / NIBA Awards
Raising the Bar: What Recognition Really Means for our Award Winners Two brokers. Two career stages. One shared story: recognition that’s less about personal glory and more about client advocacy, professionalism, and the responsibility to lift the profession.
When the Room Went Quiet James says the instant his name was announced, time seemed to change shape. “When my name was announced, it honestly felt surreal,” James says. “There was a split second where everything slowed down, and I just felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.” He lists who that gratitude belonged to first, the people who’ve carried the weight with him. Caleb, crowned the CGU-partnered 2025 Broker of the Year, remembers “a big adrenaline surge,” a beat of being overwhelmed, and then a steadying breath: “a sense of pride as I took a breath and cooled my jets.” Their stories are distinct. Different paths, different pace, different chapters. But they intersect around the same ideas: trust, craft, and the belief that broking matters most when clients are under pressure. In this profile, Insurance Adviser editor Virat Nehru speaks with both winners about what the awards represent, what the process demands, and why the experience is life changing. On the night their names were called, both James Still and Caleb Richards describe the same sensation: the world briefly narrowing to a single moment, then widening again into gratitude. James, named the Vero-partnered 2025 Young Broker of the Year, says the announcement felt “surreal”, a split second where “everything slowed down” and the weight of the journey arrived all at once.
“Gratitude for my family, for my team, for my clients and for the industry that has given me so much opportunity,” he adds. James carefully considers what this moment means for him. “I was proud, but not in an ego-driven way,” he says. “I was proud of what it represented. Long nights, tough claims, community work during disasters, backing clients when it mattered most.” For him, that moment acted like a quiet audit of the last few years — the work clients never see in full, and the standards brokers can’t afford to drop when it would be easier to cut corners. “It was validation that professionalism, authenticity and genuine care still stand out,” James says. Above all, he thanked his family, who have been his support system. “Most of all, I thought about my wife and kids,” he says. “They see the hours, the stress and the commitment. In that moment, I felt like I was showing them that hard work, integrity and belief in your vision really do pay off.”
Caleb’s memory is more kinetic — an adrenaline hit, then a conscious recalibration. “Big adrenaline surge, moment of feeling a bit overwhelmed,” Caleb says, “then a sense of pride as I took a breath and cooled my jets.” Like James, he immediately points away from himself. “I immediately felt grateful for the people who had influenced my journey personally and professionally,” he says. “I would not be there but for them, and a sprinkle of grit.” It’s a recurring theme in both conversations: the award might carry one name, but it rarely belongs to one person. “It was validation that professionalism, authenticity and genuine care still stand out.” JAMES STILL, 2025 YOUNG BROKER OF THE YEAR
NIBA .COM.AU / 25
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