The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby has appointed retired north Queensland broker John Devaney to its board following its annual general meeting last month.

Mr Devaney has more than five decades’ industry experience, including more than 30 years as a broker. He also contributed to the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation’s implementation of the cyclone pool.

He says he looks forward to taking his new role as general committee member (consumer representative), and that “insurers and governments benefit by listening to the ACIL voice”. 

“In my view, they actually need us, as we help them understand and perhaps improve some of their decision-making’s impact on consumers,” Mr Devaney said.

“The experience of north Australians with cyclones, or the exposures faced by strata insurance consumers across Australia, are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine.”  

ACIL chair Tyrone Shandiman has welcomed Mr Devaney’s appointment and praised former board member Dawn Romanella, who stepped down at the AGM on June 27.  

“The addition of John Devaney to our board is a testament to our organisation’s commitment to achieving better outcomes for insurance consumers in northern Australia,” Mr Shandiman said.

“I have had the pleasure of working with John in the past, and his presence on the board is a valuable addition. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Dawn Romanella ... for her passionate advocacy on insurance issues affecting northern Australia, particularly those impacting marinas.”