Vero and Chubb have been voted the National Insurance Brokers Association (NIBA) general insurers of the year, while Insurance House director Gary Gribbin has received the association’s lifetime achievement award.

NIBA’s annual awards were announced today at its convention on the Gold Coast.

The insurer award was split in two this year, with Vero winning Large General Insurer of the Year and Chubb taking out the Small/Medium General Insurer of the Year category.

The awards are based on feedback from the annual NIBA Broker Market Survey, which sees up to 4000 brokers rate insurers’ products and services.

Mr Gribbin was presented with the Lex McKeown Trophy for lifetime achievement and services to broking, with NIBA President Eric Harris saying “there is no one more deserving”.

“Gary is the embodiment of everything the trophy stands for – professionalism, integrity and generosity,” Mr Harris said.

Mr Gribbin retired recently after a long career as an underwriter, academic and broker. He was the cover story subject in the August-September edition of Insurance News, which focused on his role as chairman of broker group IBNA and its move from the AIMS joint venture to Steadfast.

Mr Harris also noted Mr Gribbin’s former role as head of insurance and risk management at Deakin University, which saw him become “incredibly influential in raising the professional standard of generations of insurance managers”.

Lisa Carter, of Clear Insurance in Queensland, won this year’s QBE-sponsored Stephen Ball Memorial Award for Insurance Broker of the Year.

Caitlin Carson of Marsh, also based in Queensland at the time of nomination, was awarded the Vero-sponsored Warren Tickle Memorial Award for Young Professional Broker of the Year.

NIBA CEO Dallas Booth said all the finalists are “exceptional brokers” who have “set a benchmark for the rest of the profession”.