Industry figures have paid tribute to Raymond Jones, the former QBE MD who died in December.

“Raymond will be remembered for his contributions to QBE and the industry in a career spanning many decades,” QBE posted on LinkedIn.

Unimutual CFO Victor Walter, who held a similar role at QBE from 2001 to 2018, said: “Raymond was a real gentleman and gave his all to everything he did. I will be forever grateful to him for the opportunities he gave me and, more importantly, the trust he placed in me.”

Mr Jones was QBE MD from 1994 to 2006 and before that was AIG regional VP for more than seven years, according to his LinkedIn. He was on the RACQ Insurance board from October 2010 to November 2018.

Actuary and catastrophe modeller Will Gardner says Mr Jones was “a top guy and a great mentor during the short time I worked at QBE. Raymond taught me how to get life out of a flat AA battery, a trick I still use whenever my mouse stops working. Rest in peace.”

Another former colleague, RACQ manager of compulsory third party operational and technical strategy Steve Mcphee, says Mr Jones was a “great man, solid leader” with a “sharp mind”.