Vero was crowned insurer of the year and 360 won the underwriting agency award at the Insurance Advisernet gala awards dinner.  

Berkley won the specialist insurer category as more than 550 delegates gathered in Cairns for the network's October 28-30 conference.

Insurance Advisernet MD Shaun Standfield hosted an exclusive session, and delegates also participated in the Neville Grenfell Charity Golf Classic and a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. More than $200,000 was raised for the Insurance Advisernet Foundation.

The audience heard from cybersecurity specialist Bastien Treptel, AI expert Alan D Thompson, performance coach Emma Murray and Insurance Advisernet ambassador and blind surfing champion Matt Formston.  

Next year’s conference will be held on Hamilton Island in October.

This year’s award winners were:  

• Insurer – Vero   
• Underwriting agency – 360
• Funder – Elantis 
• Specialist insurer – Berkley  
• Chairman’s award – IA Merimbula MD Kristy Martin and Pacific Insurance Solutions director Matthew Maguire 
• IA region of the year – northern, led by IA GM northern Mark Lee 
• Overall and central region practice of the year – Allinsure 
• Southern practice – Smith & Lane Insurance 
• Northern practice – Business Insurance Group 
• Business development manager: insurer – QBE’s Mike Kirwan 
• Business development manager: funder – Attvest’s Tanya Williams 
• Emerging practice – C&V Insurance 
• Employee – IA regional operations co-ordinator southern Ilena Conte