CEO / Welcome
Shaping Change Together
I want to begin by acknowledging it’s been a difficult time for the broking, NIBA and wider insurance community. We are deeply saddened by the recent passing of Greg Vlahos. The entire NIBA community is in shock at this news. Greg was a wise counsel, a tireless advocate for our profession, and a much-loved member of the broking community. He will be remembered for his many contributions, steady guidance and kindness. We extend our heartfelt care to Greg’s family, loved ones, friends and colleagues during this time. With that difficult news, I’ll turn to our first strategic pillar, which is Advocacy. I want to highlight two areas where NIBA’s work is making a difference. First, regulatory simplification. NIBA welcomes ASIC’s recent report acknowledging industry concerns about duplication, inefficiency and the compliance burden on financial services professionals. Momentum is building politically as well. Reducing red tape was a key theme at the recent productivity roundtables, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers asking financial services regulators to take a deep dive into simplifying and streamlining the framework. Our landmark thought-leadership report, Ready or Reacting? Shaping the Future of the Broking Profession, launched at the 2025 NIBA Convention, identifies regulatory demands as one of the biggest disruptors to broking’s future. You can read a special feature on the top disruptors identified in the report in this issue. NIBA appeared before the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee’s inquiry into the National Climate Risk Assessment. The report presents a national overview of climate-related risks and their impacts on communities. Moving on to our second pillar, which is Professionalism. The Code of Practice review has attracted strong engagement from NIBA members, industry stakeholders, and regulators. Codes are central to building trust and confidence. This is a pivotal moment for us to showcase our ongoing commitment to self-regulation as a profession.
The 2025 NIBA Convention was a key platform to recognise the best of our profession and the broader insurance sector. Brokers are trusted partners who help Australian families, communities and businesses manage risk and thrive. Through our awards program, NIBA is proud to celebrate those lifting professional standards. My warmest congratulations to all finalists across broking and insurer categories. In this issue, you’ll find more on the national finalists for the CGU-partnered 2025 NIBA Broker of the Year and the Vero-partnered 2025 NIBA Young Broker of the Year. Finally, our third pillar, which is Community. With around 890 delegates, this year’s Convention marks a record post- Covid face-to-face turnout, underscoring the strength and engagement of a growing insurance broking community. Our strongest face-to-face turnout in the post-Covid era speaks volumes about the energy and the appetite of our profession to come together, learn and shape change. Thank you to our delegates, partners, exhibitors, speakers and other collaborators for helping us deliver a Convention that truly reflects a growing, engaged broking community.
RICHARD KLIPIN Chief Executive Officer, NIBA
6 / INSURANCE ADVISER OCTOBER 2025
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