CEO / Welcome
Leading Through Uncertainty As 2026 gets underway, it is a timely moment to take stock of the forces shaping the environment in which our profession operates. We are living through a period of The risk environment is rapidly evolving. 76% of respondents believe brokers will need to expand into new risk domains to remain relevant, but only 64% feel prepared to navigate that changing Strengthening Consumer Outcomes
We recently launched our next piece of groundbreaking research: Complexity to Clarity: The Broker Advantage . This report is a client-led view of the measurable impact brokers have when risk is complex and uncertainty is constant. If Ready or Reacting set the profession’s agenda, Complexity to Clarity delivers the profession’s mandate. It provides evidence, from the people who matter most, that brokers are trusted advisers who remove friction, create confidence and improve business outcomes. For the profession, this research delivers something incredibly powerful: clarity about why clients and consumers choose brokers, what drives trust, and where our value is most tangible. The year ahead will bring challenges, but it also brings an opportunity to lead with confidence, adapt with intent, and keep proving, every day, why trusted advice matters.
landscape. From cyber and supply chain disruption to climate-driven volatility and emerging liability exposures, brokers will increasingly be asked to connect risk dots earlier and advise with confidence. Your Voice, Your Code The Insurance Brokers Code of Practice sets out the standards and values that guide brokers across Australia in serving their clients. It plays a central role in promoting trust, professionalism and ethical conduct within our profession. It ensures what clients experience in practice aligns with what they should expect in principle. Member consultation for the Code review is currently open, alongside our member engagement campaign, Your Voice, Your Code , designed to encourage members to help shape the future direction of the Code. You can find more information on the Code of Practice Review page, and I encourage you to read the Code Member NIBA held its AGM in Sydney recently. Kirsten Mills from Marsh replaces Gary Okely as a Board Director, whose tenure on the NIBA Board has come to an end. Garyʼs contribution to NIBA and the wider profession has been invaluable. On behalf of NIBA and our members, I am grateful for the time, counsel, and energy he has invested in giving back to the profession. I also welcome Kirsten to the Consultation Paper in this issue. Farewell Gary Okely
heightened uncertainty. Around the world, geopolitical instability, economic volatility and supply chain disruption are reshaping the global risk landscape in real time. Here in Australia, those global pressures are intersecting with local challenges in consequential ways. Extreme weather is no longer an occasional shock to the system; it is a persistent headwind. Bushfires and flooding across Queensland and Victoria have again tested the resilience of households, businesses and communities. In the thick of it, brokers have been on the frontline helping clients navigate uncertainty, rebuild, and make sense of what comes next. That frontline role has never mattered more. At NIBA, we see these as long-term structural issues, not short-term disruptions. And as the peak body for the insurance broking profession, we know meaningful progress demands a clear strategic roadmap that positions the profession to respond to complexity, lead through change, and remain future-ready. Setting the Profession’s At the end of last year, NIBA released our landmark thought-leadership report, Ready or Reacting? Shaping the Future of the Insurance Broking Profession . Its purpose was simple: to set a decisive agenda for the decade ahead, and to challenge all of us to embrace adaptability as a profession. The report paints a clear picture of what future-ready looks like by 2035. Brokers who thrive will deepen their role as strategic trusted advisers, become digital innovators, and help lead Australia’s resilience conversation, as technology, regulation and emerging risks reshape what clients need from us. Agenda for the Coming Decade
RICHARD KLIPIN Chief Executive Officer, NIBA
Board and look forward to working closely with her as we advance NIBAʼs priorities and continue advocating for the profession.
6 / INSURANCE ADVISER FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026
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