Former broker Simon McKeown died this week after a battle with cancer.

Mr McKeown was one of several brokers who worked to create the National Insurance Brokers Association in 1982 through the merger of several organisations including Insurance Brokers of Australia (IBA).

In 1984, he was the second person to win the Lex McKeown Trophy for services to NIBA and the profession.  

Mr McKeown moved to WA from the UK in 1972 and established brokerage StandFast Group, which was sold in the 1980s to Perth-based EBM Insurance & Risk.  

EBM executive chairman Alan Bishop told insuranceNEWS.com.au Mr McKeown “fundamentally was involved in the old IBA days” and was that association’s WA chairman and national VP.

“When NIBA came together as a result of all three [industry] organisations linking up, he was a director for a term,” Mr Bishop said.

“Anything was possible with Simon. We bought his company ... that was a much smaller deal than the sort of deals getting done around Australia these days, but it was quite a substantial Perth broking house.

“It came together as a good fit, and we’re in our 50th year next year. Perth was a small place and at industry functions we struck up a friendship and ended up coming together and doing a deal. Simon was very good at the front office ... When we got involved, he went out and got the clients and were able to hold them.”

Mr McKeown bought a site in Kings Park Road in Perth in 1979 and developed a three-level office building. After selling StandFast, he became marketing director at broking software company DBA and later moved back into property development.

He most recently lived in the US for about two decades.

Mr McKeown is survived by his wife Kristen and children, Trent and Ruby.