Crombie Lockwood Executive Broker Martin Lines has been named New Zealand’s outstanding professional broker, while Vero has been crowned the country’s most valued insurer.

The Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand (IBANZ) awards are based on industry nominations rather than self-nomination: insurers nominate brokers and vice versa.

IBANZ CEO Gary Young told insuranceNEWS.com.au the new format “certainly generated a lot of very positive feedback”.

Napier-based Mr Lines joined Crombie Lockwood in 1987, and covers the Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay areas. He was selected from 23 nominees. One insurer that nominated him praised his dedication to customers, “his calm manner, non-accusatory style and absolute integrity”.

The awards were announced at the IBANZ conference last week, attended by about 300 people.

The theme was “future challenges”, which Mr Young says was welcomed by those who believe it is time to look beyond the Canterbury earthquakes and see how the industry will change.