The Australian Insurance Law Association (AILA) has launched this year’s Ron Shorter Award, a public speaking competition for young professionals in the insurance industry.

The award is open to young professionals, aged 35 and under. Applicants should apply online before April 22 and nominate an insurance-related topic on which they propose to speak.

30 applicants will be selected to attend a 90-minute live online public speaking training workshop with AILA’s training partner, the Australian Institute of Management (AIM), on May 16.

On May 30, the applicants will give two-minute presentations on their selected topics, after which three will be selected as finalists and receive another six hours of intensive training with AIM.

At the online final on August 2, the three finalists will each speak for 10 minutes on their topics before a panel of judges and an audience of industry professionals.

Recordings of the finalists’ presentations will be aired during the 2022 AILA National Conference in Sydney on August 10-12.

The award has benefited more than 450 young insurance professionals since it was established in 2012.

The award honours Ron Shorter, who was Practice Manager at Colin Biggers & Paisley Lawyers in Sydney until his death in 2012. He was a long-time AILA supporter and inspired and mentored many young professionals.

Colin Biggers & Paisley Lawyers and Sedgwick are the award’s gold sponsors. Dever’s List sponsors the first prize. The first prize is $1000, second is $500 and third $250.

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