Aon Australia has been named Broker of the Year for the third successive year at the Australian and New Zealand insurance industry awards in Sydney.

Aon Australia CEO Steve Nevett says the award recognises the company’s continued focus on client service.

“Our business structure, our methodologies, our training and our values are all driven by our desire to develop a deeper understanding of our clients [and] the industries in which they operate,” he said.

The choice of Bob Buckley as Leader of the Year was a popular one. Mr Buckley recently retired as CEO of Wesfarmers Insurance Division.

QBE was named General Insurance Company of the Year – an award to add to its six consecutive NIBA General Insurer of the Year awards.

An audience of about 700 industry luminaries gathered at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre for the event on Thursday night and heard an address from the man who would be Federal Treasurer, the ALP’s Wayne Swan.

The awards list this year is:

• Broker: Aon
• General insurer: QBE
• Law firm: Minter Ellison
• Life insurer: CommInsure
• Loss adjuster: GAB Robins NZ
• Reinsurer: Munich Re
• Premium funder: Pacific Premium Funding
• Risk practitioner/team: Guild Insurance
• Service provider to the industry: Finity Consulting
• Services to the community: Ansvar Insurance
• Technological innovation: Savant Virtual Insurer
• Insurance leader: Bob Buckley.